Liminal Space
by Saintsavory
Summary: I'm throwing my hat in the ring with a high school fic-Alex is the teacher, Piper is the student. What happens when there's an attraction that cannot be acted upon?
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: I needed a break from angsty S3 fics (plus, I've still got the _Peril of Proximity_ sequel on my plate), so I wrote a genre I never thought I'd write: high school teacher/student fic. As always, I don't post incomplete stories, so this one is in the books. I haven't broken down chapters yet, but I think there will be 12.

* * *

Alex Vause didn't have the best high school experience. Her teachers were mostly spinsters who lacked originality and conformed to textbook curriculum; they did nothing to motivate her academically. She supplemented her learning by reading books like _The Physics of Wall Street_ and _How the World Is Made: The Story of Creation According to Sacred Geometry_. By the time she graduated from high school, she'd read all 100 books on _Time Magazine's_ list of the Best English Novels of All Time, in addition to another 100 that appealed to her.

Alex rarely completed homework in high school, and she didn't study for tests. She read most of the assigned chapters in any given textbook, but she derived little pleasure from the words written by old, white, American men who'd given up teaching in exchange for seeing their names in print. She loathed her standard public school education, and she vowed to go to a college where she'd be challenged, and where most of the students walked to the beat to their own drum.

Although Diane Vause didn't make enough money to send her daughter to college debt free, she took out the maximum loans that the government allowed to see that her daughter had a decent education. Alex allowed her mother to contribute to her college tuition for her first year, but she promised that by her second year at the University of California, Berkeley, her mother wouldn't have to pay a dime.

Her freshman work study job in the library was step one—she made herself invaluable to the 75-year-old librarian and worked more than her allotted 20 hours per week without pay. The next year, Alex was hired to work full-time in the library; therefore qualifying for a steep tuition discount. That, along with her sizeable scholarship, made UC Berkeley almost free. She tried tutoring students to earn money, but Alex found that she had little patience for kids with no appreciation for the Great Books. After a brief and frustrating semester in the tutoring center, she picked up a second job at a bakery to cover the remaining costs.

Graduating in three years wasn't easy, but Alex figured that she could save $30,000 if she pushed through, taking six classes per semester. (She also had 60 AP credits to her name, which meant that technically, she entered Berkeley as a sophomore.) Her only regret was that she couldn't pick up a double major, so she settled for a Bachelor of Arts in Literature with a minor in Philosophy.

* * *

At the ripe age of 22, Alex left sunny California and moved back to her hometown in a Manhattan suburb. She was accepted to Columbia University to study English and Comparative Literature and was awarded a merit scholarship for the two-year program. Trouble was, she still had to come up with $10,000 to make a Master's degree possible.

Alex had been home for a month, and the part-time job she'd taken teaching English to Chinese kids was already driving her mad.

"This fucking sucks," she said, tossing her paycheck onto the kitchen counter. "It's $200 less than I made working at the library at school."

Diane flipped an over easy egg onto a plate. "At least you have a job, hon."

"Yeah," Alex said sarcastically as she sat on a barstool with a huff. "Teaching rich, Asian eight-year-olds how to write compound-complex sentences so they can get into Harvard in ten years."

Diane buttered a piece of wheat toast and put it on the same plate with the egg, passing it to her daughter. "What if I told you there was a way that you could make $15,000 this fall?"

Alex chuckled as she poked her fork into the yoke. "I'd think you were lying."

"I'm serious." She sat next to her daughter. "I know teaching isn't your thing but…"

"Stop right there, mom," Alex interrupted. "You know how much I despise teaching."

"What if it was teaching _good, smart_ kids?" Diane took a sip of orange juice.

"If they're smart, why do they need a teacher?" She countered.

"Just hear me out." Her mother turned to face her. "One of the senior English teachers is out on medical leave, and they're scrambling to find a long term substitute who can start in two weeks. The pay is $15,000 plus benefits _and_ housing for one semester."

Four years ago, Diane had joined the kitchen staff at The Gateway School, a private boarding school in Purchase, and never looked back. Although she didn't collect tips, her pay was decent and the benefits were outstanding. For the first time in her life, Diane didn't have to scrape by to pay the bills, plus she was living in a two bedroom house owned by one of the faculty members and paid $500 a month in rent.

Alex knew how much her mom loved her job, which was one reason why she felt comfortable leaving home and going to college 3,000 miles away. She had spent her entire childhood in poverty, so to see her mother shop at Macy's instead of the Salvation Army Thrift Store and buy a _new_ sofa, instead of the second-hand one she'd purchased 20 years ago at Goodwill, made her smile. It also helped that Diane had two free meals a day as part of her benefits package at the school.

"They'd never hire me," the brunette said, dipping her toast into the runny yoke. "I don't have teaching credentials, and I'm 22 years old."

"You don't need credentials to teach at a private school, hon," her mother explained. "Besides, they could use someone younger in the high school. 'Change is the spice of life.' Isn't that what they say?"

" _Variety_." Alex couldn't help but smile. " _Variety_ is the spice of life."

"See, there you go, smarty pants!" Diane playfully slapped her shoulder. "You could teach them shit like that."

Alex stood and kissed her mom on the top of the head. "I will consider it, but it still sounds painful."

She rinsed her plate, took a quick shower and headed out the door with something to chew on; after all, she needed money if she wanted to start her Master's program in the fall. Perhaps this was a surefire way to make that happen.

* * *

If there was one thing Alex hated, it was explaining multifaceted things to stupid people who didn't seem to give a shit. She also sure as hell didn't like teenagers. Yet there she stood, in the front of a high school classroom on a warm September morning.

She'd arrived at the prep school two hours early with her mom, who had to be at school by 6 a.m. to start prepping breakfast for the boarding school kids. Alex had only been to Gateway one other time, and that was one week prior when she'd had an interview and a campus tour. (They were desperate to hire someone, since the substitute they'd originally offered the job to decided at the last minute to teach full time somewhere else.)

The school looked nothing like her dilapidated public school that reeked of moldy Sloppy Joes. Gateway was composed of two, three-story red-bricked buildings that housed classrooms and offices; one limestone dormitory that housed students; and 10 homes that lined the 30 acre property for faculty members who chose to live on campus.

Alex had been offered the opportunity to live in one of the faculty houses since the person for whom she was substituting had to move back to Michigan for the semester. She was hesitant about agreeing to live on campus because of the freedom she'd become accustomed to in college and even living with her mom over the summer. In the end, she decided that it was economically advantageous to take the Headmaster up on his offer, and she planned to move in that weekend once she made it abundantly clear that she would come and go as she pleased and had no responsibility for the students who lived in the dorm.

The energy around the school on the first day was palpable. On the one hand, Alex wanted to roll her eyes at the bubbly teens who sported tans and bragged about their summer vacation in the Hamptons. On the other, the students seemed far more mature and ready to learn than the derelicts who attended her old school.

As students poured into her classroom, which was arranged seminar style, she began writing parts of the syllabus on the Smartboard along with her full name. (She had no input into the syllabus; the curriculum had already been laid out by the former teacher.) After the bell rang, except for a bit of rustling, the students were silent. Alex recalled back in the day, a bell ringing certainly didn't deter chatter from her high school classmates. Back then, it took ten minutes for the class to quiet down, which meant the teacher only had 30 minutes of classroom instruction.

"Good morning," she began with a forced smile. "My name is Ms. Vause, and I'm subbing for Mrs. Rankin while she's out this semester." That was the first time she'd said her formal name aloud, and she cringed at the sound of it.

She heard a few students snicker, but ignored them. Alex swore she wouldn't be like her own high school teachers, so she tried something different.

"Before we review the syllabus, you get to ask me two questions—anything you want to know. If the questions are appropriate, you'll get to ask two questions every day this semester." She leaned against the front of her desk, crossing her legs at the ankles. "If they're _inappropriate_ , the questions end there and then."

Some students smiled and whispered to the person next to them, and others looked confused.

"My suggestion is to collaborate before someone asks something stupid and you lose your privilege." She pushed herself off the desk and walked around the oval shaped cluster of desks. "You're going to do a lot of collaboration this semester, because that's a big part of what happens in college." She paused by the row of windows. "You have five minutes to come up with your first two questions."

She watched one group of girls immediately gather in the far corner of the room to strategize, and one group of boys who were clearly more into ogling her than coming up with questions.

Alex knew that men and women alike found her attractive—she hadn't paid much mind to it growing up—but she tried to tame her usual look of _educated rocker chic_ by wearing a knee-length black skirt and a blue silk blouse that covered her tattoos. She'd purchased a pair of black, one inch heels that were already giving her blisters, but they were more appropriate than her three inch patent leather pumps that she normally wore.

A blonde girl in the middle of the circle caught her eye. She was tall, thin and tan, but she wasn't the model type like a few of the other girls in the room. She had on white linen shorts and a pink tanktop. Her hair looked like she'd tried to curl it, but the curls were already falling by 8:10 a.m.

"I have a question," the blonde girl began. "But before I ask, I want to ensure that a clarifying question doesn't count as one of our two questions."

Alex smiled. "Good for you, because it would have."

A few kids looked surprised.

"Time's up," she said, walking towards the front of the room. "Who's first?"

One of the boys raised his hand high in the air. "How old are you?"

His friend hit him on the arm and giggled. The girls in the room chastised him for wasting a question.

"Twenty-two," she replied. "Next."

The blonde raised her hand for the second time. "Why did you take this job?"

"I'm going to answer that question directly, but without background. If you wanted background information, you should have thought about asking a more complex question." Alex smirked. "I need money to pay for grad school."

She allowed the students to chat amongst themselves after hearing both of her answers, but noticed that the blonde girl didn't participate in the conversations. She pulled out a notebook and looked up at Alex with the hint of a smile.

"Ok, let's get to the syllabus."

As the students exited the room after class, the blonde stayed behind and only stood when everyone else had departed.

"One of the reasons people laughed at you is because we call our teachers by their first names," the blonde said as she approached the teacher's desk.

Alex tapped her pencil on a textbook. " _One_ of the reasons?" she asked with a smirk. "What's another?"

"You make them uncomfortable," she announced without expression.

"Really?" Alex asked incredulously as she leaned back in her chair. "How so?"

"You're young and attractive." She adjusted her backpack over her shoulder. "That can intimidate people."

The brunette arched an eyebrow. "Does that intimidate _you_?"

"No." She paused in the doorway before turning and adding with a smug smile, " _Alex_."

Before the blonde could walk completely out of the room, she called after her. "What's your name?"

She gave the older woman a wide, toothy grin. "You'll figure it out."

After the girl exited, Alex dove into the attendance sheet to try to figure out who she was. She didn't seem like a Caitlin or a Madison (there were two of each.) She'd have to wait until tomorrow to know for certain.


	2. Chapter 2

After a long school day, Alex waited for her mom in the cafeteria, which was known as _The Commons_ , and snacked on a freshly baked lemon scone.

"How was your first day, hon?" Diane asked as she threw an arm over her daughter's shoulders.

"Exhausting." She wiped the crumbs on her skirt. "I need a drink."

Anyone who saw Diane Vause would recognize the pride she had for her daughter, oozing out of her pores. "Let's stop at St. Nick's for a beer. My treat."

Once they reached the bar, they talked about Alex's day, the students, and about her decision to move into one of the houses on campus. Alex ordered a shot of tequila. Her mother obliged but allowed only one shot and a beer.

"Can I borrow the car after I drop you off?" She downed a healthy swig of Narragansett lager.

"Sure. Why?"

"I want to go check out the house where I'll be staying." She cracked open a peanut shell and popped the nut into her mouth. "Apparently the maintenance crew finished whatever work they needed to today, and I can move in whenever I'm ready."

"That's great, Al!" Diane paid the tab in cash. "Want me to come with you?"

"No, thanks. I won't be long." She stood and walked with her mom outside.

"Take as long as you need," she said. "It's great to have you back home, kid."

* * *

The sun was about to set as Alex arrived back at Gateway. She hadn't known that there was a large pond at the far end of campus until she drove along the east side of it and headed up the driveway to House 10. All of the houses looked identical from the outside, and she'd heard that they all looked the same on the inside as well, except for the personal touches that teachers and administrators added.

She'd brought over two boxes that she hadn't even unpacked from college. As she carried one into the house, she saw two girls jogging around the outskirts of campus. Before she stepped into her new home, one of the girls lifted a hand just above her waist in an improvised wave. Alex smiled softly and waved back as best she could with the large box in her arms. She recognized the girl as the blonde from her Advanced Literature class, but she did not recognize the other girl with whom she was jogging.

Alex retreated into the house and put the box on a chair near the door. The space was old and charming, with wide-planked wooden floors and two stained glass windows flanking the picture window in the front of the house. There were two levels, and both bedrooms were on the second floor. _This will do just fine_ , she thought.

As she began unpacking the first box, Alex heard a tap on the slightly opened front door. She twisted around and was greeted by a panting blonde.

"Hey," she greeted as she proceeded to the entryway. "You're out of breath."

"That's what running five miles does to a person," the blonde replied with a nod.

Alex hooked a thumb over her shoulder. "Do you want some water or something?"

"Yeah," she wiped the sweat, dripping down her forehead with the hem of her shirt. "Water would be nice."

Alex immediately tore her eyes away from the girl's exposed torso and walked towards the kitchen. "I'm just moving in and don't know where anything is."

"This is Mrs. Rankin's house," the blonde announced from a few feet away.

"Yeah, but she's in Michigan." She opened several cabinets until she found the glasses. "I'm only staying here until she comes back after Christmas." Alex filled the glass with tap water and handed it to the blonde. "And I thought you said you called teachers by their first name?"

"We do," she paused to take a long swig of water. "Except for Mrs. Rankin."

"Are you bullshiting me?" The dark haired woman quickly recanted. "Sorry, this whole teacher thing is new to me. I'm not supposed to curse."

"It's nothing I haven't heard before," she smiled and finished the water. "And no, I'm not bullshitting you."

Alex took the glass and refilled it. "Why were you running so far?"

"Cross country." She took the glass from Alex and sipped more water. "I'm the captain this year."

"Good for you, kid." The brunette leaned against the counter.

"I've never been inside a teacher's house before," she stated, looking around the kitchen. "Except for Mr. Bounds—he has quarterly dinners for school leaders."

Alex raised her eyebrows and tensed. "Then you probably shouldn't be here."

She finished the rest of the water and slid the glass on the counter towards Alex. "You're probably right."

The dark haired woman walked her guest back to the front door. "It occurs to me that I still don't know your name."

"Piper," she extended her hand to shake Alex's, "Piper Chapman."

The blonde's grip felt good—firm yet soft. Long fingers, short nails.

"Thanks for stopping by, Piper," she said with a smile. "But don't make a habit of it."

"What if I'm thirsty on the fifth mile?" she asked with a tilted head.

"I'll set some water on the porch for you."

"Like a dog?" Piper grinned.

Alex returned the smile. "Maybe I'll call you Fluffy instead."

"That's a terrible name for a dog," the blonde chuckled. "Maybe Champ or Boss or Ernest."

"Ernest? As in Hemingway?" Alex brushed a piece of long, black hair behind her shoulder.

She nodded. "My favorite."

Alex rested her hand high on the edge of the opened door. "Hmm…We'll have to talk, _The Sun Also Rises_."

"Not my favorite, but ok," she replied, bending down to tie one of her shoes.

Alex got a good peek down the girl's shirt—magenta sports bra contrasted against lightly tanned skin. She quickly averted her eyes and took a step back. There was _no way_ she was traveling down that road.

"Run safe," the brunette said somewhat idiotically.

"I'm going to walk from here." She stood and walked backwards down the driveway. "I live in the dorm."

"Ah," she nodded. "Then walk safe for that, you know, hundred yards."

Piper held up her hand again, just like she'd done earlier, in a small wave and smiled. "See you in class tomorrow."

When the blonde was out of sight, Alex closed the door and leaned her back hard against it, willing away images of a fit, tan, intelligent Piper Chapman.

* * *

The next day, Alex wore a black-and-white striped elbow-sleeved shift and the same boring ass, one inch heels as the day before. She only had five outfits that would be deemed "professional attire," which meant that she'd need to go shopping once she received her first paycheck.

On the way to school, she told her mom that she planned to move that weekend, and that she needed to find a car to travel from Gateway to Columbia once classes began in two weeks. Her mom offered to give her their beat up 1985 Corolla, but Alex told her she'd find a good deal elsewhere.

When Piper entered the classroom, Alex pushed up her glasses and smiled. The blonde smiled demurely at the teacher and found her seat in the middle of the seminar style oval.

"As you might have figured out," the teacher began. "I forgot to call roll yesterday. So here we go…" She proceeded to call each name in the room, and she couldn't help but smirk when she reached _Chapman_.

"We began yesterday with two questions, and so we shall today. Get together with your people and figure out what you want to know."

Five minutes passed, and Alex called on Abe, a white kid with a red afro.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" He and four other boys laughed.

"Juvenile and borderline inappropriate," she stated with a frown.

She heard one of the boys in the room whisper, _jackass_ , and watched the girls roll their eyes.

"I'll answer, but be warned that I don't do well with stupid questions." She looked directly at Abe. "No, I do not."

One of the boys cleared his throat and sat up a little taller. _Like he had a chance_.

"Next…" She looked around the room and called on one of the Caitlins.

"Where did you go to college?" she asked bashfully.

"University of California, Berkeley," she replied with a grin. "Ok, we're talking Jhumpa Lahiri's _The Namesake_ today. Who can tell me a little about Indian culture from reading this novel?"

The students were assigned three books to read over the summer, and the lesson plan for the first two weeks of school were about these novels. Alex appreciated the lesson plans and thought they were decent, but to her, they were formulaic. She needed to establish herself with these kids, and then she'd teach them the way that she felt they _should be taught_ —in preparation for a college class.

* * *

The first week of school went better than expected, but Alex was ready for the weekend. She didn't have much to take into her new home, but she spent the entire day with her mom, moving and setting up her house.

It was the first time in her entire life that she had a place to herself. In college, she'd had at least one roommate, if not three or four. On Sunday evening, once all of her stuff was put away, she sat on her sofa (already part of the décor) and enjoyed a glass of rosé. As she dove into an Octavia Butler novel, she heard a knock on the door.

She stood and proceeded to the door. "Who is it?"

"Piper Chapman."

She opened the door and saw the blonde standing there with a large object wrapped in brown paper.

"Piper, you can't be here," she said with some amount of reluctance.

"Relax, _Alex_ , I'm not coming inside." She handed her the rectangular object. "This is for you."

There was something about the way the blonde said her name that made her breath hitch.

Alex took the package. "What is it?"

"Open it."

Before doing as she was told, she looked the blonde in the eye. "Piper, if this is a gift, I can't…"

"Please," she pleaded. "Just open it."

Alex unwrapped the package awkwardly in the doorway and revealed a painting. "This is beautiful."

"I painted it last year. It's acrylic—sort of like Japanese cherry blossoms, but with red flowers instead of pink."

"You're giving this to me?" She asked in an uncertain tone.

Piper shrugged. "My parents didn't want it, and I don't have space for it in the dorm. I figured you needed some artwork to brighten up this old place."

"It really is lovely." She ran her fingertips over the acrylic flowers, and then looked at the eager blonde with a grin. "Get in here."

Piper followed her teacher inside and shut the door behind her.

"Do you want to major in visual arts in college?" Alex held the painting up over the mantle and glanced at her pupil as if asking for approval.

"God, no." Piper made a motion with her hand to move the painting a bit more to the right. "I've taken art classes my whole life, but I'm more interested in literature and history. I want to be a literary critic."

If she was this talented artistically, Alex thought, she couldn't imagine what this girl knew in terms of those other subjects.

"Both fascinating areas of study," she stated as she rustled through a box for a hammer and nail. "But hardly majors that get you job offers right out of college."

Piper held the painting while the brunette put the nail in the wall. "You majored in lit?"

"Yeah," she said with the nail between her lips. "And I'd only recommend it if you don't mind being unemployed or resorting to teaching in a high school within six months of graduating."

"That doesn't sound so bad." She balanced the painting on her knee and handed Alex the hammer. "What do you want to do after grad school?"

The dark haired woman hit the nail three times and smashed her thumb on the fourth shot. "Fuck!"

The younger girl smiled. "Please don't apologize. You might be shocked to know I've heard that before, too."

Alex climbed off the chair that she had been standing on. "Piper, you seem really nice and you're certainly talented, but you really _cannot_ be here."

"I'm the chief resident assistant," she explained as if that was the answer to everything. "No one is going to question if I'm in a teacher's home."

The brunette had no idea that Piper held such an esteemed role at the school and allowed her leadership position to make her feel _somewhat_ ok about her decision to let the younger girl into her new home.

"Well, I appreciate the gift, and I respect your position, but that doesn't mean you can, you know, _hang out_ here."

"This hardly constitutes 'hanging out,'" she replied, using air quotes. "Let me help with that." Piper climbed onto the chair and hoisted the painting to rest on the nail. "How does that look?"

The dark haired woman gazed at the girl's toned calves and adjusted her glasses. "A little to the left."

Piper shifted the painting, and Alex realized that she'd just been sufficiently bamboozled by a teenager. "I see what you did there."

"What?" she questioned innocently.

"You hung the painting for me in order to extend your welcome." Alex smirked.

"What can I say?" The blonde shrugged. "I like conversing with an intellectual equal."

That caused Alex to laugh wholeheartedly. "You consider _me_ your intellectual equal?"

Piper nodded. "Go ahead. Ask me anything you want about literature or history or art."

Alex was never one to back down from a challenge. She crossed her arms and fired away. "You've read _The Outsiders_ , I'm assuming."

Piper rolled her eyes.

"What was the name and author of the poem that Ponyboy read to Johnny?"

"Please," Piper huffed. " _Nothing Gold Can Stay_ by Robert Frost. I can recite it if you'd like."

Alex pursed her lips. "Ok, one more. Besides _The Glass Menagerie_ , what did Tennessee Williams write?"

" _A Streetcar Named Desire, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Orpheus Descending_ , and _Sweet Bird of Youth_ ," the blonde responded with confidence. "Did I leave anything out?"

"You're no literary slouch, I'll give you that." Alex admired her companion, trying hard to keep her eyes trained on a part of her body that wouldn't cause her breath to catch again. "But it's time to go."

She walked towards the door. "Enjoy the painting."

"Thank you, Piper. That was sweet of you."

"Good night."


	3. Chapter 3

The next two weeks proved uneventful for the most part. Alex strayed a bit from the syllabus (for the sake of the kids) and was rewarded with more participation than in the past. Her classes at Columbia University began that Thursday, and she was looking forward to conversing with students closer to her own age.

Piper, she discovered, was the student body vice-president, which meant that she was one of four speakers at high school assemblies every Monday. Alex continued to admire the girl's poise and intelligence, but she dared not admire more. She noticed that the blonde had a number of acquaintances, but very few close friends. She wondered if that had to do with her level of maturity or the simple lack of interest that teenagers had for a girl whose intelligence quotient was double most kids her age.

Although Alex had yet to see or hear about Piper's relationship with boys, she couldn't help but pay attention to chatter between classes about with whom the blonde would go to the Homecoming dance. Apparently, Piper Chapman was quite the catch—a fact that Alex didn't need confirmed.

On the Thursday when her Master's classes began, Alex tried to pack up her things quickly at the end of the day so that she could catch the train into the city in time for her 6 p.m. class.

Piper stood in the doorway of the classroom. "Have you had a chance to look at my essay yet?"

"Sorry, kid. I've been swamped with grading quizzes from other classes." She shoved two folders into her bag. "Promise I'll get it done by Monday."

"I didn't put much effort into it," the blonde admitted. "So I didn't want you to judge me on that paper alone."

"I'm not judging you, Piper," Alex snickered. "I have to _grade_ you, yes, but I'm not judging you."

"It's just…" she shifted her weight. "I'm a better writer than that."

"Ok." The dark haired woman shrugged. "Don't sweat it. I'm sure it's fine."

"Fine won't cut it; not for Smith," she grumbled.

"We'll talk about it on Monday." Alex stood and met the younger girl at the door. She placed her hand on Piper's shoulder and felt the girl tense. "I have to go."

She immediately regretted the bodily contact, but then the blonde took a step closer, invading Alex's physical space. "Where?"

"Columbia—my first grad school class." Alex had to move; the nearness to Piper was too much, so she began walking down the hallway towards the second set of stairs.

"That sounds like fun." She smiled.

Alex let out a long breath. "We shall see."

She bit her lower lip. "Kick some ass, Alex."

"Thanks, kid." With that, the brunette jogged down the stairs and headed towards the train station.

* * *

On the train ride, she thought of how young and impressionable most of her students were, but not Piper. She seemed a little unsure of herself, but for the most part, she was smart and sophisticated. Alex dug in her bag for Piper's essay on Jhumpa Lahiri's, _The Namesake_. Unlike the rest of the two-paged papers, Piper's was four pages, single-spaced. The brunette read every word, and by the time she got to the conclusion, she realized that she hadn't made one red mark on the essay.

It was perfect.

Alex couldn't remember a time when she'd read something, other than some famous author's work, that didn't need corrections. Even her own first and second drafts needed quite a bit of help. But Piper's essay was _astoundingly_ good.

She stared at the front page for a moment and wrote the only thing that came to mind at the top of the paper: _Excellent_.

In her first class at Columbia that night, Alex's mind drifted to her young student, thinking that she would get as much out of the course as her. That's when it hit her: 17-year-old Piper Chapman could very well be her intellectual equal.

* * *

Alex spent most of the weekend at her mom's house, helping her put up the fall decorations she'd bought at The Dollar Tree. She found it refreshing to be away from Gateway, though if pressed, she'd admit to liking her job more than expected. It wasn't the teaching that troubled her; that was going fine, it was that Piper Chapman had gotten under her skin.

She enjoyed debating with the young blonde far too much—it harkened her back to an American Literature class at Berkeley junior year when she and Talia Worthman went head to head about the merits of Ray Bradbury. Alex had to remind herself daily that hers was not a college class, and Piper was just 17. She also had to remind herself to not allow Piper to dominate the conversation in class. There were already occasions when the two of them verbally sparred for 10 minutes without input from other classmates.

"Are any of your students pains in the ass?" Her mom enquired while hanging a paper mache pumpkin from the ceiling.

"Only a couple," she replied, handing her a piece of tape.

Diane stuck the black string to the ceiling. "Are any of them super smart?"

"One girl," she admitted. "Piper Chapman—too smart for her own good."

"I know her!" Diane announced proudly. "She's always been real sweet to me in the lunch line."

"Really?" Alex grinned.

"Yeah." Diane opened a bag of plastic autumnal leaves and spread them across the coffee table. "I know her family's got a shitload of money, but she seems pretty down to earth."

The brunette raised her brows. "She's rich?"

"Haven't you seen the _Chapman_ Library?"

"Fuck," she mumbled to herself. "I guess I didn't put two and two together."

A hundred thoughts swirled through her mind, not the least of which was what a dumb shit she was to let Piper into her home not once, but twice. Her rich parents could have her fired in a New York second for so much as looking at their precious daughter with licentious eyes.

"Piper's a gem," Diane continued. "Is it alright if I tell her you're my daughter?"

"Sure." Alex shrugged. Might as well let her know that she's from the other side of the tracks. That would actually be good, she thought, then maybe the blonde wouldn't be so set on falling into Alex's good graces.

The younger Vause decided to spend Sunday night at her mother's house and commute to work with her the next morning. She figured a night without the possibility of running into Piper would be good for her.

* * *

Because the high school operated on a rotating schedule, the Advanced Lit class was the last period of the day on Monday.

As promised, Alex handed back the Jhumpa Lahiri essays at the beginning of class. She was astonished to see how well these students analyzed text, but most of them still had a long road ahead. Two students received an A: Piper and Yunyun Xu, a Chinese boarding student whose father owned a major telecommunications company in Shanghai.

Piper approached her teacher after the bell rang. "How was your first grad school class?"

"It was great, thanks." Alex tucked a book into her knapsack and hoisted it over her shoulder.

"That's good." Piper looked at her feet before proceeding. "You didn't mark my paper at all."

The brunette continued walking out the door and down the hall. Piper kept up with her.

"It didn't need marking."

The blonde riffled through the pages, apparently looking for red ink. "There has to be _something_ I did wrong."

They walked out of the building and along the path towards the dorm.

"No, it was fine." She picked up her pace, keeping her eyes trained dead ahead.

Piper jogged ahead a few steps, and then walked backwards so that she was facing her teacher. "I don't feel like I captured the essence of India."

Alex looked down and was captivated by Piper's legs—they were long and quite muscular in a feminine sort of way. Her thighs flexed with every step, and the brunette couldn't tear her eyes away. "You did." She gripped the straps of her bag until her knuckles turned white. _Eighty more steps and I'm home_.

"Mrs. Rankin used to give me constructive criticism," she tried as they passed the dormitory. "All you can tell me is that it's _fine_?"

Alex stopped abruptly. "I'm not Mrs. Fucking Rankin, ok? I'm telling you that your paper was good. It was _excellent_ , in fact, which is what I wrote on the front page."

"Ok." Piper stopped walking and moved out of Alex's path. "Have a nice night."

Once she entered her home, Alex crashed on the couch and rubbed her eyes. She needed to concentrate on helping the students in her class who had trouble with syntax, not Piper Chapman, who could do a lecture on the subject.

* * *

By the time Halloween rolled around, Alex had established herself as a competent teacher, and although she hated it, a veritable sex symbol among the boys. She continued to dress conservatively, though Fridays were casual days and all bets were off. She often wore her black jeans, biker boots and a dark knit top.

Piper, along with her fellow student government officers, ran Spirit week prior to Homecoming, which made her far less conspicuous around Alex's classroom. The dark haired woman was thankful for the distraction, but she was reminded of her often as she read three more essays by the talented Piper Chapman.

Alex despised the fact that she couldn't mark up any of the student's work. She'd tried to make a comment on the George Orwell paper about how Piper failed to identify Tom Parson's personal characteristics, but she knew that the author's intention was as such—the reader wasn't meant to know him on a personal level. Piper clearly understood that.

On Friday afternoon, Alex made the trek back to her house, excited about an evening alone at home with a couple of longnecks and some grad school reading. The Homecoming football game was that night, and she knew if she turned up her music, she'd be able to tune out the crowd and ignore the game.

At about 9 o'clock, she decided to go for a walk to take in the brisk October air, and she was thankful that the game was over and the crowd had dispersed.

"Hi, Alex!" A girl called from the field.

Alex recognized her as one of the Madisons in her class. "Hi, how was the game?"

"We won!" She high-fived her teacher, and Alex hardly knew how to react.

"Looks like everyone is gone. You ok walking home?" The teacher asked.

"Oh, I'm fine. Piper just went to congratulate her boyfriend. We'll be on our way in just a minute."

"Piper?" She couldn't help herself from enquiring. _Boyfriend_?

"Yeah, you know Piper Chapman," the girl began. "Tall, blonde, dimples…"

Alex had certainly noticed her smile, but she hadn't noticed dimples. "Yes, I know Piper," she cut Madison off for fear of even more physical descriptors. "I didn't realize she had a boyfriend."

"She'd probably kill me for calling Ankit that," Madison said. "He's the quarterback. They're going to Homecoming together."

 _Of course he is_. Alex was glad for that bit of information. It meant that there really was nothing between them—nothing more than a teacher/student relationship—which she figured all along. It was just nice to have that confirmed by one of the Madisons.

"Right." She cursed herself for her tone and tried to make up for it with her next line. "Have fun at the dance tomorrow night."

"We will!"

As the brunette walked back to her house, she heard footsteps behind her.

"Alex!"

She didn't need to turn around to confirm whose voice the call belonged to. "Piper," she said under her breath.

"Were you at the game?" The blonde asked when she caught up.

"No, I decided to go for a walk after reading 200 pages of crime narratives for my class."

The two walked in silence for a moment. Alex was acutely aware of two things: the damp grass that was clinging to her boots and Piper's right arm that errantly hit her twice on the hip.

"Still nothing constructive to say about my writing?" Piper finally asked.

"What do you want me to say?" Alex shrugged. "You write very well."

Piper stopped directly in front of Alex. She regarded her teacher and then looked at her feet. "I want to be a better writer. I thought you could help me with that."

Alex almost ran into her. "As I've said before, you're an excellent writer, Piper. I have nothing to add."

"That's bullshit!" the blonde exclaimed. "Why aren't you giving me feedback?"

"Keep your voice down!" Alex pleaded as she saw a light go on in one of the other faculty homes.

"I'll keep my voice down when you're honest with me," Piper challenged.

Alex shook her head, stepped around the younger girl, and walked at a faster pace towards her house, hoping that Piper would lose steam and return to her _boyfriend_.

The two minutes that it took to walk home felt like an eternity. The night air caused Alex to puff out billows of smoke, and her lungs burned at every intake of damp air. She shoved her key in the lock and opened the door only to find her student on her heels.

Once the door was unlocked, she whipped around. "You can't come in, Piper."

"I _can_ come in." The blonde tilted her head. "You just don't want me to."

The dark haired woman lifted her glasses on top of her head. "It's late, kid. Go home or…go spend time with your boyfriend. You just shouldn't be here."

As Alex tried shutting the door, Piper put her hand on the flat surface and stopped it. "I _want_ to be here."

The teacher closed her eyes. "Why?"

"Because I want to be a literary critic when I grow up, and you're the first person in my life who hasn't shunned that idea."

Alex took a deep breath, exhaled slowly and let her head roll back. " _Fuck_ ," she complained under her breath.

The two women exchanged a glance, both seemingly aware of the other's physical presence. Piper was, she thought, far too aware of situations to not know what was happening between the two of them. She was thankful that they both chose to ignore the intimate side _of what could happen_.

Piper proceeded into the kitchen and found a bottle of tequila on the counter. She poured two small glasses and put an ice cube in each. "I know this isn't the good stuff, but I took an agave class in Cancun while my parents sunbathed, and they said that only Americans take shots of tequila. It's meant to be savored just like a fine whiskey."

"You're not a normal teenager," Alex said, accepting the proffered glass.

"And you're not the average teacher," the blonde retorted.

Piper raised her glass for a toast. "Here's to figuring each other out."

The dark haired woman could do nothing but smile and take a small sip of the amber liquid.

"I could get fired for this," she stated as she watched the blonde grimace after taking her first sip.

"I wouldn't allow it," she said after her second. "My dad is on the Board. He donates a considerable amount of money."

She leaned her hip against the Formica. "Even so, Piper, this is _not_ normal student/teacher behavior."

"Do you enjoy talking to me?" She asked innocently.

At first, the dark haired woman thought about lying. "Yes."

Piper shrugged. "Then let's talk."

Alex grabbed the glass from her guest's hand. "We can talk in class and maybe even after class if you have questions, but we cannot talk in my private residence." She swigged the amber liquid from Piper's glass and then put both glasses in the sink. "And I'm not getting you drunk."

"That's what all of my friends are doing right now, you know." She crossed her arms. "Getting drunk and making out."

"You're not like them." The brunette put one hand on her student's back and pushed her gently towards the door.

As they got closer to the entryway, Piper slowed down and pushed her back against Alex's hand, making it harder for the teacher to lead her out.

Alex chuckled. "Don't make me drag you out, kid."

The blonde turned to face her and giggled at their antics. "I'll leave on one condition: you take me to one of your grad school classes."

Alex pursed her lips and thought about it for a moment. They wouldn't be in the same car (they'd take the train) and if caught, they could say they were going their own way into the city. "Deal. Next Thursday. Meet me at the train station at 4:45."

Piper jutted her hand out to shake on the deal. "Sounds good."

They walked to the door, and as Piper made her way down the sidewalk, Alex called after her. "Hey, kid…You're going to be an outstanding literary critic."

Piper smiled and waved. "Good night, Alex."

* * *

Author's Note: Thanks for the feedback; it keeps me going. If you like it, say it.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Since you asked, **omgprepon** , I'm in a double-post kind of mood. I owe it to you guys for the positive feedback-this one is short, but I hope you enjoy.

* * *

Over the next week, Alex was buried with her own school work, plus grading papers from three of her four high school classes. Piper wasn't as pushy as she'd been in prior weeks, and the brunette wondered if it had to do with _her boyfriend_ , Ankit, who'd brought flowers to her at the beginning of class the other day. The other students _oohed_ and _ahhed_ over the kind gesture, but Piper kept her head down and quickly shoved the flowers under her desk.

Alex was thankful that Piper had a boyfriend if for no other reason than it kept her out of her hair. The two hadn't been alone since the night of the Homecoming football game, and that was perfectly fine with Alex.

"I didn't know if you'd be here," the blonde said from the train platform.

Alex smiled as she approached her. "I have class tonight. Of course I was going to be here."

Piper shrugged. "I thought maybe you'd take a different train."

"Why would I do that?" She smirked.

"I don't know…so you wouldn't be seen with me," the blonde stated as she prepared to board the train.

"We're not doing anything _clandestine_ , Piper," she admitted as if she needed to convince herself, too. "I'm taking you to a graduate school class, so think of this little trip as an educational outing."

During the hour-long train ride, they talked about Alex's class, _Murder Ink: Narratives of Crime, Discovery, and Identity_. Alex explained the particulars of the class: they were studying the twentieth-century detective story, with particular attention to women writers and the genre of the female private eye. She handed Piper her used copy of _The Woman in White_ and told her to read as much as she could in the time they had on the train.

"This was one of the first mystery novels ever published," the teacher commented.

"Wilkie Collins?" Piper flipped open the first page and read about the author. "Never heard of him."

"See, I _am_ teaching you something," she replied with a wink.

"At the grad school level." Piper rolled her eyes. "Why don't you assign books like this in class?"

"I was handed a syllabus and asked to teach exactly what's on those pages," she explained.

"I don't mind most of what we read, but stuff like this is way cooler than fucking George Orwell."

"Watch your language, kid," Alex said as she pulled out a bottle of water from her bag. "And George Orwell is one of the best writers of all time. Just because you didn't like _1984_ doesn't mean the man couldn't write."

"I guess," she replied. "Can I have a sip?"

Alex looked down at the water bottle, and then at her companion. She pushed it towards her on the small tray table. Piper wrapped her lips around the edge of the bottle and stared at her teacher. After two gulps of water, she licked her lips and handed the bottle back to Alex. It was the brunette's turn to swallow hard. She took the proffered bottle and raised it to her own mouth, hoping to taste a bit of Piper Chapman. As a drop of water trickled down her chin, Piper gently wiped it away with her thumb.

A woman with a thick New York accent came barreling down the aisle and hit Alex's elbow with her wide hips. "Snack cart, want anything?"

The dark haired woman whipped her head around. "No, thanks."

The two of them sat in silence for the next 15 minutes as Piper read part of _The Woman in White._ Alex glanced at her every other minute. She watched as she tapped her long index finger on the tray table with one hand and flipped the page with the other. Almost unconsciously, Piper tied her hair into a messy ponytail while trying to keep the novel open by using her elbows. It was as if the girl was in her own world as she read the book.

As the train stopped, Piper closed the novel and looked at her companion. "This is pretty good. Mind if I borrow it when you're done?"

Alex quickly looked away as if she was caught staring at the blonde's lips. "No…I mean yes, you can borrow it." She adjusted her glasses higher on her nose. "This is our stop, kid."

* * *

The classroom that evening was filled with about 50 students, so Piper's presence was inconspicuous. They sat towards the back of the room, and the girl's attention in the class was focused on whomever was speaking for the entire two-hour lesson. Alex spoke up twice, and she could see Piper's small smile out of the corner of her eye after giving her opinion about the novel.

When the class was over, the two walked back out to the street and had to zip up their jackets to protect them from the cold November air. They chatted about the class, and Piper had a hundred questions about the professor's point of view.

"I'm starving," she announced after walking down the street for 10 minutes.

"I could hear your stomach growling in class," Alex said with a smile. "Street meat?"

"What's that?" The blonde gave her a disgusted look.

"A hot dog from a street vendor," she replied. "Don't tell me you've never had a New York City hot dog!"

Piper shook her head.

"You're in for a treat, babe." As soon as the word came out of her mouth, she regretted it. "I meant _kid_ , not babe." She flexed her jaw and looked away.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a smirk on Piper's face.

"I know what you meant."

They approached a hot dog vendor, and Alex ordered two dogs and two Cokes. She gave the man $10 and let him keep the change.

"Can we sit on that bench over there?"

"I have to get you back to school," the dark haired woman began. "Where did you tell people you were going tonight?"

Piper took a bite of the hot dog. "To meet a friend at Columbia and sit in on a class. It's not really a lie."

Alex regarded her. "What time is your curfew?"

"On school nights, it's 10 o'clock," the blonde replied around another bite. "But I've stayed out until 1 a.m. before. No one notices if I'm gone since I'm the chief RA and have a room down the quiet corridor."

"I'm not taking any chances," Alex said as she looked at her watch. "Besides, won't Ankit be looking for you?"

They made it to the train platform. "We don't typically hang out on Thursdays." Piper paused. "How do you know about me and Ankit?"

Alex shrugged as she boarded the train. "It's hard not to hear all the teenage drama. Plus I saw him bring you flowers earlier this week."

The blonde crumbled her foil wrapper and put it in the trash bin as she boarded the train. "He's not my boyfriend."

Alex gave her a questioning glare. "It's none of my business anyway."

"Maybe not, but just so you know." She sat in the window seat. "He's not my boyfriend."

Alex nodded and sat next to her student.

* * *

On the train ride home, Piper pulled out her homework and they debated about the value of calculus and physics versus the humanities. Although Alex did not enjoy math and science, she felt it was her duty to instill upon Piper the value of understanding those subjects.

The last 20 minutes of the ride, Piper fell asleep and her head landed on Alex's upper arm. The brunette's first reaction was to shove her pretty little head away, but when Piper's hand rested on her thigh, Alex allowed herself to drown in the comfort of another person's touch. It had been six months since she'd had physical relations with a woman—not that she was thinking that's where this was headed with Piper—that was impossible. But the comfort of the blonde's head on her arm and hand on her leg was too good to deny herself the pleasure.

As the train stopped, Piper lifted her head and wiped the drool coming out of her mouth. "Sorry. I guess I fell asleep."

Alex grinned. "It's ok. You're probably exhausted. Long day."

They got off the train at 9:40 p.m. and walked briskly towards the school. When they got to the gates, Alex handed her student her copy of _The Woman in White_. "Here you go, kid. Enjoy."

She took the novel. "Won't you need it for the next class?"

"We only spend one class talking about one book." She smiled. "The pace is the main difference in a graduate school course."

The blonde looked at the book in her hands. "Thanks."

"We should probably take two different paths back," Alex offered as she looked down at her feet.

"Tonight was amazing, Alex." She got on her tip toes and kissed her teacher on the cheek. "Thank you."

Alex's hand flew to her cheek and she jumped back a step. Her skin burned from the girl's lips. She figured if she made a big deal out of it, it would _become_ a big deal—better to ignore the tiny gesture and move on. "You're welcome, Piper. Good night."


	5. Chapter 5

Two days before Thanksgiving break, Alex took a leisurely walk back to her house and admired the stunning autumn leaves along the campus perimeter. She wasn't much of a nature lover, but this time of year, she could spend hours outside, soaking up the bright hues of fall. It was mostly in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving when she liked to read poetry and even write verse that had nothing to do with school assignments.

As she walked up her driveway, she found her tattered copy of _The Woman in White_ on her welcome mat. She smiled as she leaned down to retrieve the novel before going inside. She set down her heavy bag, and then proceeded into the kitchen to pour a glass of cab franc.

Alex flipped through the pages of the novel and a notecard fell out. It was a thick, ecru piece of stationary with _Piper Chapman_ embossed at the top. In perfect handwriting, Piper wrote:

 _Nature's first green is gold_

 _Her hardest hue to hold._

 _Her early leaf's a flower;_

 _But only so an hour._

 _Then leaf subsides to leaf._

 _So Eden sank to grief,_

 _So dawn goes down to day._

 _Nothing gold can stay._

 _Robert Frost would have a lot to say about the golden leaves along the paths at Gateway this time of year. Meet me by the pond at 5._

She took a long sip of wine and ran her fingertips over the embossed name at the top of the notecard.

What was she going to do with Piper Chapman? In a month, the decision would be far easier—she would no longer be substituting at Gateway, and if she wanted to pursue the young woman, she could do so with little guilt (except, of course, for her age.) She stood at her kitchen counter, notecard in hand, wondering how she should proceed.

Alex changed into an old pair of jeans and a comfortable hooded sweatshirt. She walked around her house with nervous energy, sipping wine every so often. She tried playing music on her new iPod speaker system, but even Prince couldn't drown out her thoughts about Piper.

It wasn't so much Piper's physical beauty that captivated her, although, Alex had to admit that her young pupil was indeed beautiful; rather, it was the way her mind worked. She soaked up information like a thirsty bird. Her writing was downright inspiring. She was mature beyond her years, and she seemed to know what she wanted out of life. If they _were_ a couple, Alex suspected, they'd balance each other quite well.

* * *

The clock chimed five, and the dark haired woman had a choice to make: stand up the enigmatic young Chapman or meet her to end their flirtations. Alex knew that even as innocent and careful as they'd been, what their relationship looked like from the outside would not be conducive to their positions at school.

In the end, she decided to be passive about the meeting. She walked outside down the well-traveled path between the faculty homes and the sports fields. No one was around—the only people left on campus were the international boarding students and the dorm director. Most of the students weren't even at school that day as their parents whisked them away to some exotic location to celebrate Thanksgiving.

"Alex!" came a voice from far behind.

She turned around to see Piper jogging up the path.

"You got my note?" She asked, wiping her hair out of her face. The wind had picked up a bit, but it was still a beautiful evening.

"I did." Alex couldn't help but smile, but it didn't take long for her expression to turn somber. "I'm not meeting you by the pond, Piper."

The blonde looked confused. "But you're here."

"Yes, I'm going for a walk on this gorgeous autumn day, but as you can see, I'm nowhere near the pond."

She squinted into the sunlight. "Is that your passive way of saying that you're not interested in talking to me?"

"We've been through this before, kid." Alex noticed the way her face scrunched up, making her look a little awkward but downright adorable. "You and I can't hang out."

"But you took me to your class in the city," she explained with a furrowed brow.

"That was an academic adventure." The brunette shrugged. "Even so, it won't happen again."

"I don't understand."

Before Alex could explain, Piper spoke again. "Ankit and I broke up."

"Sorry to hear that." She looked off into the distance. "Breakups suck."

"I broke up with him," she responded, looking at her feet and kicking a pebble. "So it wasn't that bad on my end."

"That takes some serious balls." Alex continued walking north. "I thought you two weren't boyfriend/girlfriend?"

"If you asked him, we were," Piper stated. "But I never felt that way about him. Don't get me wrong, Ankit's a nice boy, but I'm not interested in him in that way."

Out of the corner of her eye, Alex could see Piper looking at her, as if she was trying to relay a coded message.

"I'm sure there will be many other loves in your life," the brunette said.

Piper didn't respond. The two women walked slowly across the baseball field and onto a path that Alex hadn't journeyed on. Before she knew it, they were at the pond.

Alex stopped and eyed her companion suspiciously. "Got me here anyway, huh, kid?"

"Not intentionally," she replied with a shy smile. "But since we're here, I want to show you something."

Alex determined that she had very little willpower when it came to the young woman next to her. A little voice inside her head told her to retreat, yet she found herself following Piper around the north end of the pond, swatting at vines along the way. "Where are you taking me? I'm not a fan of bugs."

"You'll see." The blonde hopped over a felled tree and turned to help Alex.

Once they were on the opposite side of the pond, Piper maneuvered through the brush off the dirt path and turned as if to ensure Alex was following. When they reached the edge, the blonde pointed ahead at a gorgeous valley, covered with trees of all different colors and sizes. The bright orange, red and yellow leaves contrasted against the blue sky as the sun crept lower on the horizon.

" _Wow_ ," Alex breathed. "It looks like a painting."

"I tried painting it once my sophomore year," Piper replied. "But a brush can't capture this kind of beauty. You just have to see it; bask in it, to really feel its power."

Piper sat on an old bench that looked like it had seen better days, and Alex sat beside her as they stared into the vast space.

Piper spoke softly,

" _Descending leaves fall to the ground,_

 _Twirling, twisting, round and round,_

 _Autumn season is almost here,_

 _The smell of freshness is oh so near._

 _The crisp, cool breeze,_

 _Shakes the leaves from the trees,_

 _Autumn takes away the green,_

 _Golden-bronze and brown is all that can be seen_."

"Is that Thoreau?" Alex asked.

She shook her head and laughed quietly. "No, it's Piper Chapman."

Alex smiled. "You're really something else, kid."

After a brief pause and a couple of deep breaths of fresh air, the blonde finally asked, "Do you notice me, Alex?"

"Of course I notice you," she replied with nervous laughter.

"Sometimes I wonder…" Piper swallowed hard as she reached out a hand to brush her teacher's hair away from her face. "If this was another place, another time…"

Alex leaned into her touch and whispered. "Me, too."

"Please don't say, _kid_ ," the blonde requested as her hand trailed down the older woman's arm.

Alex smirked. " _Babe_."

Piper smiled bashfully as her hand finally connected with her companion's. Alex turned her palm up and linked fingers with the girl. They stared at each other for a moment, soft smiles on each of their faces, before turning to the West to watch the sunset.

The dark haired woman's nerves subsided as she held hands with Piper on that bench. She couldn't explain why her heart didn't beat wildly at the thought of connecting with the blonde in that way—it was something she'd carefully avoided over the past three months, so logic would dictate that her heart would flutter when the opportunity presented itself. Yet she remained unruffled, even serene, and noticed that Piper looked equally content, like this was as natural as the earth's rotation.

Once the sun had completely set, Piper was the first to speak. "I guess we better head back. The bugs are going to get pretty bad."

Alex turned to her. "Thank you for sharing this with me."

Piper beamed. "You're welcome."

Alex returned the affectionate smile and stood, extending her hand to help Piper up. Against her better judgement, Alex didn't let go. The two walked back to civilization hand in hand until they reached the perimeter of campus.

"Back to reality," Piper sighed.

"Yeah." The dark haired woman squeezed her hand once before letting go. "Are you going home for Thanksgiving tonight?"

They walked towards the dorm. "I'm not going home at all," Piper began. "My parents are on a Caribbean cruise."

The brunette raised her eyebrows. "And they just left you here?"

"It's not the first time," she explained. "Last Christmas, I went to Dot's Diner down the street by myself."

"That's crazy," Alex commented. "Come home with me for Thanksgiving." As if she could shove those words back in her mouth, she paused and shut her eyes. "I mean, you should consider joining my mom and me for dinner on Thursday. No one should be alone on such an important American holiday."

She blushed. "I'd really like that."

"Give me your number, and I'll text you with details," the brunette said as they approached the portico.

Piper did as she was told, and then walked into the building. "See you in two days," she called as Alex walked back home.

"Two days," Alex replied with a wave.

* * *

Once inside, she plopped into the armchair and rubbed her temples. _The Piper Issue_ had presented itself in the flesh, and Alex didn't know exactly how to proceed.

What struck her most was the apparent mutual understanding she and Piper had about their attraction. She'd feared that if the moment presented itself when there was even a remote possibility of a kiss, one of them would have taken the plunge. The fact that the two had held hands near the pond and _did not_ actually take things further showed remarkable restraint on both women's parts. Once again, Alex was astounded by Piper's maturity. If the positions were reversed, she didn't think she'd be able to demonstrate that kind of restraint.


	6. Chapter 6

Alex had gone home the night that would forever be deemed, _The Evening of Great Restraint_ , and asked her mom if it was ok that she invited Piper for Thanksgiving dinner. As expected, Diane was overjoyed at having another person join them for the feast; in fact, she went on ad nauseam about the merits of Piper Chapman. (Little did her mother know that Alex didn't need someone else to tell her _just how great_ Piper was.)

She went shopping with her mom after finishing her final project for her grad school class. Now that Alex had a decent income, she insisted upon paying for half the groceries, much to Diane's vexation. The brunette couldn't help but laugh as her mom slapped her hand when she handed the cashier a $50 bill.

After unloading the turkey, rice, dressing, lettuce, cornbread, wine and sparkling cider, Alex went to her bedroom to text Piper with the details of the next day.

 _It's Alex – I'll pick you up at 11 tomorrow. Good?_

Piper texted back five minutes later: _Happy day before Thanksgiving! Sounds good_.

Alex had difficulty sleeping that night, but just as she was about to doze off around midnight, her phone chirped. She looked at the device to see a text from Piper. She opened the text to find a picture of her young friend in the dorm kitchen, flour strewn about the small space and what looked like a pie in her hands.

Alex chuckled and typed, _What the hell happened? Is that flour or snow?_

Piper: _I baked a sweet potato pie. Had a little trouble with the flour._

She looked at the photo again and smiled at the disheveled girl before typing, _You're adorable_.

Piper: _I'm a mess!_

Alex: _I worked at a bakery in college. Will show you how it's done one day._

Piper: _Looking forward to it._

Alex: _See you tomorrow, kid._

Piper: _You know the moniker I prefer._

Alex: _Yes, I do. Can only use that on special occasions._

Piper: _Do holidays count?_

Alex: _Damn right._

Piper didn't text back, but Alex's heart fluttered at the thought of seeing her—in her own home, away from campus—tomorrow. She fell fast asleep and didn't wake up until morning.

* * *

Alex smoothed her hair and checked her lipstick in the rearview mirror before pulling into the train station, their agreed upon meeting spot, at 11:02 a.m.

The bright eyed blonde greeted her. "Happy Thanksgiving!"

"You, too." She smiled and unlocked the door.

Piper was wearing a pair of tight maroon corduroy pants and a cream colored scoop neck sweater. She had a jean jacket over her arm and what appeared to be a pie in her hands.

"My masterpiece." She held up the pie, and then put it in the back seat.

"I'll be the judge of that," Alex quipped.

Piper climbed into the front seat, buckled up and smiled at the driver.

"No snarky comments about the car?" she asked.

The blonde looked over her shoulder. "Looks like a perfectly decent back seat."

Alex smirked at her student's daring statement. She could feel the vein in her neck beginning to pulse. "You're in a mood."

"I'm in _quite_ the mood," Piper commented, troubling her lower lip.

The dark haired woman laughed softly.

"You have something on your cheek." Piper reached out to rub Alex's right cheek with her thumb.

"What the hell?" She looked in the rearview mirror. "No, I don't."

"You did. I removed the smudge," the blonde tried while concealing a smile.

"You're full of shit," she said through a toothy grin.

"It's on this side, too." Piper reached across her body and rubbed her thumb over the other cheek.

"You're going to cause me to get into an accident!" Alex giggled and playfully swatted her arm, but not before picking up on the scent of Piper's lavender perfume that she must have dabbed on her wrist.

The smell of Piper, the way she grinned, her bouncy blonde hair, and the feel of her soft fingers all made the brunette's head spin, and she couldn't get enough. Alex wasn't going to stop herself from indulging—not on Thanksgiving day.

"If you want to touch me, Piper, _touch me_. You don't need some lame excuse. Not today, anyway."

The blonde's eyes opened wide as if she were unwrapping a gift on Christmas morning. She ran her hand across Alex's cheek, allowing her fingertips to trace a path down her jaw, onto her shoulder, down her arm and to her right hand.

Alex did the best she could to keep her eyes on the road, but it was hard to concentrate upon feeling Piper's soft caress. She opened her hand to allow Piper to link their fingers together just as they had done two nights ago.

They remained silent for the five minute drive to Diane's house, and when the car was parked, Alex squeezed Piper's hand. "Happy Thanksgiving, babe."

The sun couldn't shine as brightly as Piper Chapman's smile.

* * *

The house smelled like a five star restaurant—roasted turkey and vegetables coupled with apple pie assaulted Alex's senses. "How could it smell any better than it did when I left half an hour ago?"

Diane surfaced from the kitchen to greet her guest. "Piper, so good of you to join us!"

"Diane? Wait…I'm confused." Piper's eyes widened. "Is Diane your _mom_?"

The brunette regarded her mother. "I thought you were going to tell her?"

"I asked if I _could_ ," her mom replied, enveloping Piper in a hug. "I never said I _did_!"

"Well clearly introductions don't have to be made," Alex announced, folding her arms, the corners of her mouth turning upwards. "I hope this doesn't make you uncomfortable, Piper."

"Are you kidding?" The blonde put an arm around Diane. "Your mom is, like, my favorite person in the entire school."

Alex nudged Piper with her shoulder and gave her an expectant look.

"You're a close second." She winked at Alex, which sent shivers up the young Vause's spine. "Oh, before I forget, I made a pie."

"I'll grab it out of the car." Alex went outside and retrieved the pie and the bag from the back seat.

"It's a sweet potato pie," Piper announced, following Diane into the kitchen. "I've never baked before, so I can't vouch for the flavor."

"I'm sure it'll be delicious, hon." Diane got two wine glasses out of the cupboard. "What can I get you two to drink?"

"Let's open the Beaujolais Nouveau we bought yesterday," the brunette said, putting down the bag she'd carried in.

"You can have some, kid, but not blondie," Diane commented.

Piper leaned closer to Alex. "So that's where the _kid_ comes from, huh?" she whispered.

The dark haired woman smirked. "Please, mom, I was drinking when I was 15, and you knew it."

"I don't care." Diane put her hands on her hips and gave her daughter a stern look. "You were young and stupid, and so was I. This child is not a product of my womb, and I'm not letting her drink…Except _one_ glass."

The blonde smiled. "One glass would be great, thanks."

"I'll open the bottle," her mother said. "Why don't you show Piper around?"

"Not much to show," Alex said under her breath.

"I heard that!"

Her daughter escorted Piper out of the kitchen and into the living room. "This isn't where I grew up, but my mom has lived here for the past four years. One of the former history teachers owns the house and just needed someone to keep it up. Rent is reasonable, and my mom hadn't lived in an actual house since she was a child."

Piper traced the walnut-etched mantle with her fingers. "Where did she live?"

Alex crossed her arms. "When I was growing up, we moved from apartment to apartment. Nothing stable."

The blonde regarded her. "Are you ashamed of how you grew up?"

"Not really." She shrugged. "It's just nothing to brag about. I had all I ever needed—nothing more, nothing less. My mom was my North Star. As long as I had her, I didn't care about much else."

"I had everything a girl could dream of growing up, except the love of my mother and father." Piper put a hand on her arm. "I'd trade places with you in a heartbeat."

Alex pulled her into a tight embrace and realized that this was the first time they'd ever properly hugged. Piper felt warm and cozy; a part of her, a _big_ part, didn't want to let go.

Diane entered the room and the two young women quickly separated. If her mom noticed anything, she didn't say as much.

"I'd like to make a toast," she began. "To celebrating this fine Thanksgiving holiday with my daughter and our distinguished guest!"

"Cheers!"

* * *

Alex completed the tour of the small home, often putting a hand at the small of Piper's back or feeling the blonde's hand somewhere on her own body.

"We can't be so touchy," she whispered, her hands betraying her words as she brushed the younger woman's cheek.

"I know," the blonde whispered, leaning into the touch. "To be continued."

Alex smiled at the thought of continuing to touch the soft blonde. She was careful not to kiss her companion for fear that it wouldn't stop there. Not that she _didn't_ want to have sex with Piper, that much was a given, but she had to remind herself over and over again that she was still the girl's teacher.

The three women spent the next hour in the kitchen, finishing Thanksgiving dinner preparations and talking about everything from food to the NFL game to literature. At one point, the younger Vause realized that she and Piper were talking about Elie Wiesel for so long that they hadn't noticed her mom disappear.

"I think we bored her so much that she vanished into thin air," the blonde quipped.

"Mom?" Alex called with laughter tracing her voice.

"I'm setting the table." She walked back into the kitchen and grabbed cloth napkins. "You two were in your own little world there."

"I apologize," Piper said, following Diane into the seating area with the silverware. "Sometimes when I start talking about literature, I can't shut up."

"You and my daughter both," she laughed. "You make quite the pair!"

Piper glanced at Alex with wide eyes. The brunette simply smiled.

Over dinner, they talked about Piper's childhood, but she changed the subject multiple times to hear more about Alex's younger years.

"It's hard to believe you're only 17, kid," Diane said around a mouthful of stuffing.

"Don't remind me," Piper responded as she cut a piece of white meat and popped it into her mouth.

Alex felt something on her thigh and realized that it was Piper's hand. The wise part of her brain told her to back her chair up, out of Piper's reach, but the horny part of her brain won, allowing the blonde's ministrations to continue.

"So have you applied to college yet?" Diane asked.

She nodded. "Early Decision to Smith College. I should hear back in about a month."

Alex felt her body tense. She had no idea that Piper had made such a commitment.

"That's in Massachusetts, right?" The older Vause asked.

"Yes, Northampton, which is in the Western part of the state." She ate a bite of cranberry sauce. "This is really good, by the way."

"Alex loves cranberry sauce. I had to make it for her," she said with a proud smile. "It's the orange zest that gives it a little pizazz."

Ignoring the comments about food, Alex chimed in, "I didn't know you applied Early Decision."

"I didn't know your mom was Diane, the lunch lady," Piper replied with a shrug. "I think there's a lot we don't know about each other."

"Excuse me," Diane said as she pushed her chair back and stood. "I'm going to get the rolls out of the oven."

As soon as the older woman was out of earshot, Alex spoke. "I would've liked to have known about Smith."

The blonde raised her eyebrows. "Since when do we tell each other stuff like that?"

Alex wiped her mouth, and then let her hands fall with a _thud_ onto the table. "Since right now."

In that moment, on that day, at that table, things shifted between the two young women. Piper no longer seemed like a student in her class—she was far more like a friend—a friend with whom Alex realized she was falling in love.

Suddenly, Alex felt claustrophobic and had to gasp for a breath. She nearly jumped out of her chair. "I need some air."

"But the butter rolls just came out of the oven," her mom commented with a basket of steaming bread in hand.

"I'll have one," Piper said, trying to take away whatever awkwardness existed in the room, but not removing her eyes from Alex. She finally drug her gaze back to her hostess. "Can I pour you some more wine?"

"I'd love that," Diane said, sliding her glass towards her guest.

Alex flew out the front door and down the steps. She walked briskly down the sidewalk, running her hands over her face and through her hair, mumbling _fuck_ every few steps. This wasn't supposed to happen. Sure, she could converse with her about literature and history and even accept Piper's flirtations, but _falling in love with her_ wasn't in the cards.

As she walked down the street in the drizzling rain, her teaching position was the least of her worries. Piper wasn't an adult yet; if they had sex, it would be considered _rape_.

 _No, no, no_.

But they were a mere four years apart—Alex knew many couples who were further apart in age than that. And Piper was infinitely more mature than half of her own friends. That had to count for something.

The dark haired woman turned around and walked back home, holding her head to the sky as the tiny raindrops fell on her warm cheeks. She knew what she had to do, and she hated the thought of it.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: Thank you all for the reviews so far! If you have questions about this story or when I'm going to be updating, please private message me. I can't answer questions from guest accounts; doesn't give me access to message you. Also, the Review page is not a message board, so I can't reply to your questions there. Thanks!

* * *

Alex jogged up the four steps to her mother's home, but before she opened the door, she heard music coming from inside. She backed down the steps, walked a few feet to her right, and looked through the large picture window into the kitchen. As Ray Charles belted out, _I've Got a Woman_ through the old stereo, she noticed Piper dancing while doing the dishes. Her mom was singing every word, and her young guest played the air drums every few seconds. The two women appeared to be enjoying themselves immensely, which brought a sad smile to Alex's face, because of what she had to do.

Alex jogged back up the steps and entered the house, slamming the door to announce her presence. The two women either didn't hear her or didn't care.

"Music loud enough?" Alex finally asked, turning the volume knob all the way down.

"Hey, turn Ray back on! It's not our fault you dined and dashed, kid," her mom said while drying a pot.

"Yeah, and left us with all of the dishes," Piper added as she placed two bowls into the dishwasher.

"I'm taking you home," Alex announced, eyes not focused on the blonde.

Piper looked stunned. "I'm not finished helping."

Diane retreated to the other room and turned the music louder.

"Piper…" She ran a hand through her damp hair. "I need to take you back to school."

"Wait a minute, Al," Diane put a hand on her arm. "You've had as many glasses of wine as me. You ain't driving anyone anywhere." She grabbed the two pies from the counter and brought them to the table. "Besides, we haven't eaten dessert yet!"

The blonde stared at her companion with a dejected look on her face. "Thank you for everything, Diane. I think I've overstayed my welcome."

Alex looked away and felt like shit, but before she could say anything, her mom chimed in. "You did no such thing, young lady. Now get your ass over here and have a piece of pie with me. I can't wait to try yours." Diane grabbed a knife out of the drawer. "Did you use nutmeg or cinnamon?"

The younger women kept their eyes trained on each other; it was as if Piper was silently checking to see if her presence was still welcomed.

"Both. I can't wait to try a piece of apple pie," the blonde said with a smile directed solely at Diane as she sat down next to her.

Diane cut three slices of each pie and put them on small plates. "Come on, Al, get it while it's hot."

Although she thought it was a bad idea, the younger Vause complied and sat across from her student. She took a bite of the sweet potato pie first, and she watched Piper take a bite of the same. As the women chewed, Diane raved about the texture.

After chewing four or five times, Piper abruptly spit the pie into her napkin. "This tastes like snot."

Alex couldn't help the laughter that escaped and spit hers out as well.

"Nonsense!" Her mom complained. "It's delicious."

Alex looked directly at Piper and shook her head, a small smile creeping onto her face. _I am so fucking gone_.

* * *

Diane had saved a very special bottle of Madeira for the occasion and poured each of them a tiny glass. She even allowed Piper to drink a small amount.

After Alex's second glass of Madeira, she stood as Ray Charles sang, _Georgia on My Mind_. With a bit of liquid courage, she held out her hand. "Dance with me, Chapman."

The blonde looked surprised, but stood and walked towards the center of the living room. The dark haired woman placed one hand on her back, and held Piper's hand with the other. They swayed slowly to the music, and Alex felt her whole body relax into the younger woman's arms. She still smelled faintly of lavender, but her breath smelled sweet like caramel and orange peel. Alex tucked their joined hands closer to her chest and was rewarded with Piper squeezing her hand and letting out a content sigh.

If anyone told her that her mother was sitting 10 feet away, she wouldn't have believed it—it was as if everyone else in the world disappeared as she swayed to the music, feeling Piper's body against hers.

Just as Alex was about to lay her head on top of Piper's, the blonde pulled away. "You can't have me all to yourself, babe. Get over here, Diane!"

Alex blushed at Piper's use of the term, _babe,_ but she was thankful for _Wise Young Piper_ 's interference. She watched with complete joy as her mom dipped the blonde on the last chorus. Piper let out a howl and threw her head back with laughter. It was a sight Alex would never forget.

"Whew! You two have worn me out!" She wiped her forehead. "I'm going to go take a bath and soak these old bones. Piper don't you dare leave without saying goodbye, and if you want to stay the night, you're more than welcome."

Alex's eyebrows arched, but she kept her comment to herself.

"Thank you so much," the blonde said with a hug. "Everything was delicious."

"You're welcome, kid." With that, Diane disappeared into her bedroom and closed the door.

The two women stood in the middle of the living room, several feet apart.

Alex was the first to speak. "I really need to get you home."

Piper looked away. "I'll take the bus."

"No, I'll drive you."

"You heard your mom, you've been drinking."

"Piper, you can't stay here," she said in a quiet, sad voice. "You get that, right?"

"Why?" the defiant girl asked, folding her arms.

Alex spun around and remained with her back to her companion. "Because you're my student, and because you're 17-fucking-years-old!"

The air between them was thick.

Alex watched the rain falling harder against the window. She felt Piper's hand crawl up her back, and as if the younger woman was a masseuse, the tension in her body melted away.

"What if I wasn't either of those things?" the blonde asked in a soft voice.

"We can't pretend that you're not." She turned around to face her companion. "The facts are the facts, Piper. We can't be together. Not like…"

"Like what?"

"Not like I want," Alex whispered, but said with confidence.

Piper pursed her lips and took a step back. "Not like _we_ want."

Alex rested her glasses on the top of her head. "You are beautiful and smart and funny and…"

"Stop." She held up a hand. "Don't tell me those things when you can't show me how you feel."

"Believe me when I tell you it's not that I don't _want_ to show you," she said in a heavy voice.

Piper grabbed her bag from the kitchen, and then reached up to give her hostess a kiss on the cheek. "Then I need to leave before I show _you_ how _I_ feel. At least one of us sees nothing wrong with spontaneity."

She hung her head. "This has nothing to do with being spontaneous, Piper. It has to do with my position and your age."

"I get it, Alex. I really do." She opened the door. "But I cannot possibly convey the sadness I feel at this moment."

Alex had to look at the ceiling to keep the tears from falling. "Me too, babe."

With that, Piper Chapman walked into the rain.

The brunette collapsed on the sofa as _Come Rain or Come Shine_ blasted through the speakers. She wiped her damp eyes before any tears rushed down her face.

"I heard the door shut," Diane said as she entered the room in a worn out robe. "Did Piper leave?"

Alex looked up at her mom, and she knew that Diane Vause was no fool.

"Oh, come here, hon." She rocked her daughter in her arms until the younger woman's tears stopped falling. "She's a catch, that Piper Chapman."

"Yeah, I'm just fishing in the wrong fucking sea," Alex sniffed.

"You know what the good thing is, kid?" Diane lifted her daughter's chin. "She'll be 18 in less than a year."

That caused Alex to huff and smile. "Six months to be precise."

"I know I don't need to tell you this, Al, but you have to wait," her mother explained with a serious face.

"No, you don't need to tell me that." She wiped her eyes on her shirtsleeve. "But I might need constant reminding."

"Will do, kid." She hugged her daughter and then retreated back to her bedroom.

Alex stood, thinking a bath sounded like a good idea. She stripped in the bathroom and texted her companion. _Got home ok?_

Piper: _Yes. Please thank your mom again for me._

Alex: _Ok. See you on Monday_.

Piper: _That's going to be tough_.

Alex: _We have to keep our distance._

Piper: _I'm well aware of that_.

Alex: _Major feels for you, kid_.

Piper: _That makes two of us_.

* * *

Alex was not looking forward to teaching on Monday. She'd had a rough weekend, acknowledging and coming to terms with her feelings for Piper, and not being able to do anything about those feelings left her incredibly sad.

The blonde entered the classroom with her head bowed, eyes shifting to the left to look at Alex. Two other students were already seated.

Alex tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Hey."

Piper ignored her greeting.

"How was your Thanksgiving?" One of the Caitlin's asked.

She plopped into her desk with a thump. "It sucked."

Alex looked away and pursed her lips.

"I'm sure it wasn't all bad," Caitlin said.

"No, but it ended that way."

One of the other students asked Piper what happened, and she made up some half-lie about being alone.

"Alright, folks," Alex began once everyone was present. "You're stuck with me for another three weeks before Mrs. Rankin returns. Let's see how smart I can make you in that time."

The students were still allowed to ask two questions per day, and she'd answered some good ones so far. They'd strayed from questions about her personal life and ventured more into material that would be on the Friday quizzes, and Alex was grateful for the transition.

"Who has the first question today?"

A short boy in the front raised his hand. She hadn't called on him in a while. "Carter, shoot."

"Why do we have to read two Jane Austen novels?" he asked.

The boys in the room laughed, and a few girls proclaimed their love for the romantic author.

"Because it's on the syllabus," the teacher replied. "If it were up to me, you'd only read one: _Sense and Sensibility_ …Next question?"

She looked around the room and noticed that Piper had her hand up. No way in hell was she going to call on her. "Catherine, you're up."

"You called on me last week," Catherine said. "Um, Piper hasn't had a turn since, like, the first week of school."

Alex looked at Piper and tried to hide her uneasiness. "Ok, Ms. Chapman, I guess it's your turn."

Piper, who looked like she hadn't slept a wink, paused before asking, "Have you ever been in love?"

The room filled with quiet gossip, and all of the students except Piper sat up straighter and were on the edge of their seats.

" _Yes_ ," Alex replied with a slight quiver in her voice. She cleared her throat and looked boldly at Piper. "Yes, I have."

A barely detectable smile formed on the blonde's lips. "Me, too."

* * *

Author's Note: This was my favorite chapter to write. Please let me know what you think.


	8. Chapter 8

Over the next three weeks, Piper turned in an equal number of essays, and Alex vowed to pour over them until she could come up with substantive comments to help the young writer reach her potential. It wasn't an easy task—her work was brilliant. Any grad school student would be lucky to have Piper's way with words.

Two weeks before Winter Break, Piper missed three classes in a row, and her teacher found out that she had the flu and was hospitalized for half a day due to lack of fluids. She wanted to send the girl a _Get Well_ card, but she didn't know how to deliver it without suspicion, so she settled on a text.

Alex: _Heard you were sick. Get well soon, kid._

Piper: _I feel better, thanks._

Alex: _Wouldn't want you to miss my last lecture of my teaching career._

Piper: _Wouldn't miss it for the world._

Alex: _By the way, graded your last three papers. As on all, but tried to give meaningful comments on each. Hard to do when you write so fucking well._

Piper: _Blushing. Thank you._

* * *

Class wasn't the same without Piper in the room—no one could connect ideas the way that she could, and no one could challenge Alex in as respectful a way as the blonde could. She had a knack for debate that added value to the entire student body.

Alex tried to make up for the lack of Piper's presence in the class _and_ in her personal life, but she fell short. She thought of Piper at every turn, whether that was listening to music or reading a book—the blonde had infiltrated her entire system.

After Piper's fourth absence, _fuck it_ , Alex thought—she couldn't continue walking around in a fog. She just needed to see the blonde; make sure she was really ok.

Alex had never been in the dormitory, and she didn't exactly feel comfortable in a building where high school students slept. She checked in at the front desk and recognized the student on duty as Bryn Denning from her third period class. "I'm here to see Piper Chapman. I heard she was really sick."

"That's super nice of you," Bryn replied, chomping on gum. "Go ahead to her room - 316."

"Thank you." She made sure the flowers that she'd bought were invisible to anyone who might pass by.

Alex knocked on the closed door.

"Come in."

"Don't you ask who it is first?" Alex said with a grin as she entered the tiny dorm room.

"Alex! What the hell are you doing here?" Piper sat up in her bed, dropping a book onto the floor.

"Relax, kid. I checked in at the front desk. It's all good." She pulled out the bunch of flowers. "I was worried about you."

"This will look incredibly suspicious," she admitted after a long cough.

"Oh, well." She shrugged, sitting on the mattress next to the blonde's hip. "I have one more week at this place. Let them fire me."

The blonde gave her a tender smile as she accepted the flowers. "Thank you for these. I've missed you."

Alex brushed the hair off Piper's forehead, her fingertips lingering a bit longer than she intended. "I've missed you, too."

Piper reached back and put the flowers on her desk. "I'm feeling much better. The doctor said I can go to school on Monday."

Alex took Piper's hand in hers and rubbed her knuckles. "Glad to hear it. Anybody come to see you?"

"Lots of students." She looked at Alex's full lips. "I'm not contagious anymore."

The dark haired woman let out a soft laugh. "Why are you telling me that?"

"In case you wanted this to be the site of our first kiss." She shook her leg and intentionally hit Alex several times on her side.

"A _first_ kiss implies there will be a second," the brunette replied with a cocked eyebrow.

Piper looked into Alex's eyes. "Was that ever a question?"

"No, it wasn't…it isn't." Alex brushed the blonde's cheek with the back of her hand. She watched Piper's eyelids shut.

"My head is getting fuzzy…lie down with me."

Alex sat up straighter. "I don't think so. That is the _opposite_ of the safe thing to do."

"I'm going to lock the door, and then you're going to lay with me." She crawled over Alex slowly, making the older woman's skin prickle, and locked the door.

"What the hell are you wearing?" Alex smiled.

She looked down at her outfit: navy sweatpants, a red plaid shirt over a purple tank top, and pink fuzzy socks.

"I could take it all off," she commented while beginning to lift them hem of her tank top.

"No!" Alex barked. She stood and adjusted her glasses. "God, no. Please don't do that."

The blonde smirked as she climbed back into bed, patting the space next to her. "I want to be your little spoon."

Her brain was telling her to _get the fuck out of that room_ , but Alex did as she was told and scooted behind her.

Piper grabbed her right hand and held it close to her chest. "I could get used to this."

Alex smiled against the blonde's ear before puckering her lips and kissing her delicately on her earlobe.

They laid like that until Piper fell asleep.

Alex gently removed herself from her position, careful not to wake Piper, and kissed the girl on the forehead. She looked at Piper in that small bed, wondering, no _hoping_ , that would be the first of many times they'd share a bed together.


	9. Chapter 9

The small gifts that Alex received on her last day at Gateway were overwhelming. The students held a party for her at the end of the day, and several of them baked cupcakes and cookies to celebrate her short time in the classroom. One of the most humorous boys in her Advanced Lit class, Will, got down on one knee and proposed to her. The kids got a riot out of it, and Alex laughed heartily at the gesture.

"I'll wait for you, Will," she said with dramatic effect.

"That's all I ask," he said.

Piper sat on the far side of the room, clearly enjoying the action in the front. She looked…intriguing, Alex thought: wavy hair, lip gloss, tight name brand jeans, and a rose colored sweater that fit like a glove. It didn't hurt that she was sitting on the top of her desk with her legs slightly open, swinging both feet. She also looked older, a fact which was not lost on Alex. She recalled first meeting the girl and how young she appeared. There was something about her now, even four months later, that made her seem more mature.

Not that Piper had many occasions, but she never seemed jealous. (Case in point: the fake proposal.) Her confidence was one of the thousands of appealing things about her.

Throughout the party, the women kept track of each other, and Alex was reminded of how couples who'd been together for ages acted at parties—one person could be across the room, but the guests could always tell that the two people belonged to each other by simply watching their eyes.

It was the third time that Alex felt that overwhelming _in love_ feeling in the past four months, and it literally took her breath away.

After about an hour, the students began to disperse, and Piper was one of the first to leave.

"Thank you for being here, Alex. I learned a great deal from you." She shook her teacher's hand.

"You're an excellent writer, Piper. It was a pleasure working with you."

They held hands longer than the average well-wisher, a fact that Alex hoped wasn't obvious to the rest of the students in the room. She was a bit taken aback by the blonde's early departure. If she'd had to guess, she would've thought Piper would be the last to leave.

Ten minutes later, Alex announced her departure and forced the six kids in the room to leave.

When she arrived back at the faculty residence, she texted Piper. _Didn't expect you to be among the first to leave. Everything ok?_

Piper: _Had to take care of something_.

Alex changed into sweats before replying. _When will I see you again_?

Over the next hour, she finished packing the boxes that contained everything she owned, and still didn't get a reply from the blonde. _Maybe it was better this way_ , she thought—she could drive away into the sunset without some private, messy goodbye.

She put the last of the seven boxes into the car she'd borrowed from her mom, making sure to put the painting that her student had given her on top of everything so it wouldn't get damaged. Alex slipped on her leather jacket, got into the car, started the engine and said goodbye to her temporary home. As she pulled out of the driveway, she looked around for Piper, but there was virtually no one around other than a maintenance worker tinkering with a snow blower.

The dark haired woman drove out of the gates of the school and headed West, past the train station that made her nostalgic.

"Alex!" She heard in the distance. "Alex!"

She looked out of the rearview mirror and saw Piper running behind her. A smile crossed her face, but she was also concerned for the blonde, who seemed to be sprinting down the highway to get to the beat up Corolla. Alex turned down a side street and put the car in park. The temperature outside was close to freezing, so rolling down the window proved difficult as a heavy frost had settled into the rubber crevice.

"Where were you going?" Alex asked as Piper approached the vehicle.

"I needed to get away from this place." Piper put her hands on her knees to catch her breath, and Alex was reminded of the first day they met. "I couldn't be here without coming to your house to say goodbye, and if I saw you, it would've gotten…uncomfortable."

The dark haired woman lowered her head, silently agreeing with her. "I guess this is goodbye for the foreseeable future."

Piper slowly stood, breathing somewhat under control, and rested her hands on the window sill.

The women stared at each other for a moment before the blonde finally mumbled, " _Fuck it_."

She grabbed Alex's face with her cold hands and kissed the older woman for all she was worth. Alex couldn't fight it, and truth be told, she didn't want to. She'd wanted this kiss every minute of every hour of every day for months, and it was finally happening.

Before Alex knew it, she was pulling Piper through the open window and into the car. Her long, nimble body finally made it inside, all the while barely allowing their lips to part in the process. Alex shoved the seat as far back as it would go, and Piper straddled her lap, knees bent and legs under her. The blonde was able to carefully lift Alex's glasses on top of her head without allowing her mouth to leave her lover's. They continued to kiss, and it was all tongues and teeth and lips, clashing together like stormy waves rolling into shore. Alex's hands were splayed across the girl's back, while Piper's moved from her cheeks down to her neck. Piper grabbed a fistful of her teacher's leather jacket as she angled her face to deepen the kiss.

There was nothing graceful about their union, but it felt like the closest thing to heaven that Alex Vause had ever experienced. Piper tasted like vanilla, and Alex wondered if the rest of her tasted so sweet.

" _Piper_ ," she managed to breathe out after five minutes. "Piper," she tried again. She loved the way her lover's name sounded coming out of her mouth in the throes of passion.

"Hmmm?" The blonde kissed her way across her cheek.

She pushed against her chest until they were eye to eye. "We have to stop."

"Tell me you don't want this," she replied in a husky voice.

"Believe me, kid, I _absolutely_ want this." Alex gave her a closed-lip smile and brushed the blonde's disheveled hair out of her face. "But we're in a dangerous position, and if we got caught, you know what the consequences would be."

Just then a car drove by, but lucky for them, it was going too fast to see anything. Still, Alex thought, it was a huge risk.

Piper closed her eyes, fused their foreheads together and took a deep breath. "I think I'm in love with you."

Her admission caused Alex's heart to do somersaults. She kissed Piper softly on the lips. "I _know_ I'm in love with you."

That revved up another round of making out, this time with skin contact. As the blonde tried to change the angle of her head, Alex tugged at her bottom lip, pulling it between her teeth, and then soothing the mark with her tongue. Piper's hands reached under Alex's blouse, and the sensation of the girl's hands on her stomach sent a feeling of ecstasy straight to her center.

She tried moving her hands further up Alex's shirt, but the dark haired woman stopped. "No, no, no. We can't go any further than this." She pulled her shirt back down. "We've gone too far as it is. I'm not saying that I don't _fucking love_ having your tongue in my mouth, but we really have to end this right now, babe."

Another car passed by, and Piper finally pulled back. "Where does this leave us?"

She wiped the blonde's swollen lips with her thumb. "Until your 18th birthday, not very far."

"That's so fucking ridiculous," Piper spat out. "It's like on this one day, everything changes just because my birth certificate says I'm older. Turning 18 doesn't make me any more mature or any more ready for a relationship. I know what I want— _who_ I want, and I don't need to wait six months to figure shit out!"

"It's the law. I realize it's stupid, but we can't help that." Alex shrugged. "Would you rather me in _prison_ when you turn 18, or _in bed with you_?"

That caused Piper to smile. "In bed with me." She punctuated the statement with a firm kiss.

Alex couldn't control her reaction to the blonde. They kissed again for another two or three minutes, this time far more in sync. One of them moaned, and then the other, driving them both insane.

"I'm going to count to three, and then I'm opening this door." Alex hoped that her lover didn't hear the regret in her voice.

She did as promised and opened the car door. Piper climbed out and had to flex her cramped legs. Both women smiled at the motion.

"Want me to drive you back?"

"No," Piper replied. "I'm going to go for a walk."

"It's getting dark. Don't stay out too late, babe."

"I won't."

"We'll talk soon." Alex tried smiling but she knew how pathetic she looked.

Piper nodded, but no words were forthcoming.

"Goodbye, Piper." With those parting words, Alex drove away, hands gripping the steering wheel until her knuckles turned white.

She kept her tears at bay until they pooled so heavily under her eyelids that she couldn't see, so she pulled over and wept. She cried and cried and cried some more, hating the fact that she had to leave Piper behind all because of her _fucking_ age. Alex had no idea how she'd survive six long months without seeing Piper, but she knew that for both of their own good, that's what needed to happen.

* * *

Author's Note: This was another fun chapter for me to write, and I really hope it was rewarding to read. Let me know, please.


	10. Chapter 10

Even when she was dirt poor, living in a dilapidated apartment on the bad side of town, Alex couldn't remember a Christmas when she was as miserable as the one that had just passed. Her teaching gig at Gateway had ended as did her grad school class for the semester, so she was left with a hell of a lot of time on her hands, which meant thinking about her underage, one-time lover at every turn.

She'd found out through text messaging that Piper was admitted Early Decision to Smith, and that her parents were whisking her and her younger brother away to a remote island in the South Pacific for Winter break. Alex knew that was a good thing, because if Piper was in town, living just 10 minutes away, there's no telling what would have happened between the two.

By the second week of January, Alex was finally busy enough to not allow her thoughts to drift to Piper every hour. She'd enrolled in four grad school classes and had gotten a job as a teaching assistant at Columbia. The money that she'd made as a substitute teacher allowed her to pay tuition without issue, and she had a little spending money left over that she invested for the future. Her next step was getting an apartment in Manhattan, but rent was too steep at the time.

Alex and Piper had agreed, much to the blonde's disappointment and protests, that they would only communicate once a week unless one of them needed something significant or had something important to share. The dark haired woman could not count the number of times she looked at her phone each day to see if Piper had texted her even though she _had to be fortunate_ that she hadn't. She was impressed by the younger girl's willpower and thanked God that she hadn't caved either. _It would've been so easy_.

If pressed to admit it, Alex was jealous of her own mother—jealous that she got to see Piper Chapman every single day in the lunch line at school. The younger Vause often asked her mom how Piper was doing, but she only heard surface level, " _She's fine_ ," responses from Diane. She knew that her mom was trying to protect her from a broken heart, but the two women never openly discussed it.

"Hey, Al," her mom called from the kitchen one dreary, late January morning, "You wanna go to a fancy dinner with me?"

The brunette came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her hair. "A fancy dinner?"

"Yeah, I won the raffle at school," she announced with pride. "Got a $100 gift certificate to Anthony's."

"That _is_ fancy," Alex admitted with a smile. "What kind of raffle was it?"

"The student government kids were raising money for one cause or another, and I gave 'em $10," she replied. "Piper was the one who told me I'd won."

Alex stopped in her tracks. "Piper?"

Diane nodded. "It was so cute. She threw her arms around my neck and squealed."

She gave her mom the best smile she could muster, but her heart sank at _her mother_ being the recipient of Piper's embrace instead of her. Enough time had passed between their makeout session in the car and now that Alex had all but forgotten what it felt like to be swathed in Piper's arms.

"Al, there's something I need to tell you." She walked over to her daughter and put a hand on her arm. "Something I've been keeping from you."

"You're scaring me, mom. What is it?" Alex's brows creased.

"There's nothing to be scared about," she began. "Why don't we sit down?"

"I don't want to sit," Alex said as she backed away. "What is it?"

"You know that I see Piper at lunch every day." Diane looked at her feet before proceeding. "For the past month, she's given me letters to give to you, and I haven't given you any of them."

The brunette's eyebrows shot up. "You've kept Piper's letters from me?"

"You gotta understand, kid," she began. "I've been so afraid for you and Piper—that something… _illegal_ …would happen, and I don't want you to end up in jail."

"First of all, I'm a _fucking adult_ and can control my actions." Alex took a step back and pointed at her mom. "And second, who are you to withhold _anything_ from me, no matter who it's from?"

"I realize that…"

"No, you clearly don't," the brunette interrupted. "You had no right to keep those letters from me, mom! Where are they?"

"Before I get them, I need you to hear me out." She had a pained look on her face. "I realized at Thanksgiving that you were in love with her, Al. And that she was in love with you. You have no idea what it's like to watch your baby girl fall in love," Diane's voice quivered. "And to know that she can't be with the person she loves because of some fucked up law that says so."

Alex looked away and swallowed hard, partly embarrassed that her mom could read what was in her heart and partly pissed that she couldn't hide her feelings for Piper very well.

"She asks about you all the time, ya know." She tilted her head. "And I told her yesterday that I withheld her letters from you."

She regarded her mother. "Was she as angry as I am?"

"She was upset at first, just like you," Diane began, taking a deep breath. "But she understood why I did what I did. She only asked me to promise that I'd give you the envelopes today."

The younger Vause turned away and gazed out the window. After a moment, she finally spoke. "Do you think I'm fucked up for being in love with a senior in high school? I mean, am I some kind of sick-o?"

"God no, kid." Diane stood next to her daughter. "Piper isn't your average teenager. She's wise beyond her years, and she doesn't pull stupid shit like you used to pull in high school."

That statement caused Alex to smile faintly.

"We don't get to choose who we fall in love with. Believe me I know." She rubbed her daughter's back. "But we _can_ choose how we react."

Alex turned to her left and hugged her mom tightly. She felt her mom kiss her temple and rub her back in big, calming circles.

"Letting her go was the hardest fucking thing I've ever had to do, mom." She squeezed her eyes shut so that tears wouldn't fall. It was a fruitless attempt—tears streamed down her cheeks as her mother held her closer.

"I know, hon. I know."

After a couple of minutes, Diane pulled back and wiped her daughter's tear stained cheeks. "You have a hell of a lot more willpower than I ever did."

Alex let out a wet huff. "Well, I can't get her pregnant at 17 like dad did to you."

That earned her a playful slap. "Thank God for that!"

The two women enjoyed laughing if only for a minute.

"I'm going to get those letters, and leave you alone." She hugged her daughter once more before heading to her bedroom. "I've got some errands to run, so I'll be back in a couple of hours."

Alex took the towel off her head and rubbed her face. She sat on the sofa and waited for her mother to return.

Diane handed her a stack of mail secured with a rubber band. "Call if you need me."

She nodded and accepted the four or five envelopes. "Ok."

Once her mom was in the car, Alex sat back down on the sofa and took a deep breath before opening the first envelope. Inside was a handmade Christmas card with a poem written in calligraphy. Alex smiled at the thoughtfulness that Piper had put into the card.

She opened the second envelope, a pink one, and pulled out another handmade card:

 _Since December 17,  
all I can think about  
is when we can be together.  
I want to see your smile  
and hear your laughter.  
I want to kiss away  
the past  
and hold you  
until you know  
without a doubt  
that this is for real..._

 _Love,_

 _Piper_

She held the card over her heart and dove into the next one. A piece of loose leaf paper fell out of a standard, white envelope.

 _Dear Alex,_

 _I'm in the middle of the Pacific Ocean on a private, pristine beach where I should have no care in the world. An Adonis-like man just brought me a virgin Pina colada, yet all I can think about is you, with your long, black hair and those glasses. You remind me of the female version of Clark Kent. Do you own a cape?_

 _When I close my eyes, I think about our first kiss through the window of your car. It brings a smile to my face and butterflies to my belly. Then I think about how my legs cramped up, and I was worried I'd get a Charley horse. It brings laughter and joy to my soul!_

 _I know I'm 'just a kid,' but I hope you've come to realize that I'm more mature than most students my age. I know what I feel for you, and for the first time in my life, I've experienced love. I want more._

 _And more._

 _And more._

 _I'm sad at the thought of not being able to express my love to you for another six months, but I understand the consequences of a foolish act. Until then…_

 _Piper_

Alex raised her glasses to the top of her head and wiped her damp eyes. How was she lucky enough to be in love with someone so rational?

She opened the final envelope, which was another letter expressing Piper's love, but this one ended by saying that it was better if they didn't text or talk—she couldn't handle the lack of physical proximity.

Alex had a choice to make: respect the blonde's wishes by not contacting her or betraying her desire by letting her know that she finally received her letters. It had been three weeks since they'd exchanged texts, so the brunette figured enough time had passed to deem it safe for contact.

Alex: _Just read your letters. Touched._

When she didn't hear from Piper after 15 minutes had passed, she decided to blow dry her hair and get dressed. Although she had no place to be until dinner that evening, she could always fill her time with reading and writing for grad school.

Piper: _Glad to hear it. And you will be…touched, that is, in 5 months._

Alex _: Looking forward to it._

Piper: _Gotta go—getting ready for winter ball._

The brunette heard a chime, indicating that there was a picture attached to the text. She opened it and saw a photo of Piper wearing a towel around her chest and her hair in rollers. She smiled and wished she could see the girl in the flesh. She began typing, "Who is your date?" but quickly erased the words on the screen. She'd always lived by the phrase: _Don't ask questions when you fear the answer_. Instead, she typed, _Have fun, kid_.

* * *

Author's Note: There will be a total of 14 chapters. Thanks for the reviews so far. Please keep them coming.


	11. Chapter 11

Diane entered the house three hours later, and Alex was buried in grading underclassmen papers as part of her teacher's assistant job. She stopped what she was doing and helped her mom unpack groceries.

"You still feel like going to that fancy dinner tonight?" Alex asked as she put a bottle of syrup on the top shelf.

"Hell, yeah!" Diane smiled at her. "I made reservations for the two of us at 6 o'clock."

"Were you counting on my joining you?" She grinned.

"It was either you or Betsy," she replied.

"If you'd prefer to go with your friend…"

"Nonsense!" She interrupted. "I want to go with you. And if you're up for it, you can tell me about Piper's letters."

"Mom!" Alex complained. "Some things are meant to be private."

Diane patted her daughter on the back. "Ok, hon. Ok."

* * *

Alex had trouble remembering the last time that she and her mom went to dinner at a sit-down restaurant. They'd eaten takeout plenty of times, but the last time they'd gone to a place that had white linen table clothes and servers dressed in bowties was her high school graduation. The brunette remembered that night not for the ambiance or the food, but because she watched her mom drop $75 on dinner for two. She'd never seen her mother spend that kind of money, unless it was on two weeks' worth of groceries.

It was the dead of winter, so Alex opted to wear a long sleeved black wool dress with a frayed hem, black tights and her favorite heeled, leather boots. She spent more time doing her hair than she had in months, and it felt good to put some effort into her appearance.

The valets didn't comment on the condition of their 1985 Corolla, but when Alex looked at the other cars in the parking lot, she was sure there would be some snickering once the women went inside.

She watched her mom proudly give her name to the hostess, and her smile grew when they were escorted to a table near the window.

"Would you look at this view, hon?"

"It's lovely," Alex commented as she peered out the window and saw a row of Douglas Firs, complete with white twinkle lights.

"My name is Candace, and I'll be your server this evening," a young waitress with dark brown hair and bright red lipstick announced. "Can I get you something to drink besides water?"

"I'll have a Mai Tai," her mother ordered proudly. "Al?"

"Tanqueray and tonic, please."

The waitress departed, and Alex enjoyed watching her mother take in the grandeur of the fine dining restaurant. She herself was not one to go out to fancy dinners very often, so she appreciated the experience almost as much.

The dark haired woman found it odd that Anthony's was half-empty, but then a limousine pulled up and at least five couples came into the restaurant. The guys were in tuxedos and the girls were in gowns.

"Would you look at them," Diane commented. "It's the Gateway winter ball tonight, and those are some of the students."

Before it dawned on Alex who might be there, she saw Piper out of the corner of her eye.

" _Fuck_ ," she muttered. She'd swear she heard her mom say the same thing.

Diane put a hand on her daughter's arm. "Al, if you want to leave..."

"No, it's fine." She took a deep breath. "I'll be fine."

"Look, it's Alex!" One of the guys pointed. He and another student approached the table. "Remember us?"

"Of course I do," Alex said with a forced smile. "Will, Caitlin…How are you?"

"Good," Caitlin answered. "It's winter ball tonight."

"I can see that."

"Hey, kiddos, what about me?" Diane chimed in.

The students looked surprised to see her mom all dressed up and out on the town. Alex could tell that they shared genuine excitement at seeing 'the lunch lady,' and had no doubt that everyone at Gateway loved her mom. They made small talk while the brunette tried to keep her eyes off of Piper. She was unsuccessful to say the least.

The waitress approached with their drinks, and Alex immediately downed half of hers. "Would you excuse me?" She walked towards the entrance and said hello to six of the ten students whom she recognized. When her eyes landed on Piper, she could see that the girl didn't know how to react. "Hi, Piper. How've you been?"

She swallowed hard. "Fine, thanks."

She was wearing a light blue, laced and beaded dress that hit just above the knee. Her hair was slightly curled and she had on a dab of pink lip gloss.

Alex eyed the blonde up and down, and before she could take the words back, she commented, "You are exquisite."

"Thank you." Piper blushed. "I've been meaning to ask you something about a book I'm reading. Would you mind if we stepped outside?"

As the rest of the high school seniors took their seats, Alex escorted the blonde outside. They went around the corner of the restaurant to a patio that looked like it saw a lot of use during the warmer months, but for now, it was abandoned.

"You really are beautiful," the dark haired woman commented, purposely keeping her distance.

"So are you," she replied. "I never thought I'd run into you here…or anywhere for that matter."

"It's a pretty small town," Alex said with a shrug. "We were bound to run into each other somewhere."

She looked down for a beat, and then back up at Alex. "I came with Carter. Obviously we're just friends."

She raised one eyebrow. "Obviously?"

"Have you _seen_ him?" It was Piper's first genuine smile of the evening. "Not my type."

Alex chuckled. "Even if he was, it's not my place to comment…or be jealous."

"Not even a little jealous?" The blonde walked closer, and her lavender perfume assaulted Alex's senses.

"Maybe a little," she whispered as Piper invaded her personal space.

Before she knew it, their lips were locked in a fierce kiss. Alex backed her lover up against the wall and ran her hands over her breasts. Piper managed to snag her hand under the hem of Alex's dress, but due to the angle, she couldn't reach higher than the brunette's upper thigh.

"God, I want you," the blonde breathed heavily between kisses.

"I want you, too. So _fucking_ much." She didn't stop kissing the girl on the mouth, then the cheek, then the neck.

A door opened and the dishwasher came outside and lit a cigarette. "Oh, sorry!"

The women pulled away from each other and straightened their dresses.

" _Fuck_ ," Alex said. "That's too close of a call."

"I don't care," the blonde replied, reaching out to rub a lip gloss smudge off the side of Alex's mouth.

"Yes, you do," Alex admitted for the both of them. "We _have to_ care."

The blonde sighed.

"It's so good to see you, Piper." She touched her cheek. "It's been way too long."

"I know." She covered her lover's wrist with her hand.

"We need to go back inside and pretend this never happened."

Piper nodded. "It's getting harder and harder to stay away."

The dark haired woman turned her head to place a small kiss on the inside of Piper's wrist. She heard Piper sigh and was tempted to continue her ministrations, when another person came out of the back door.

"Excuse me, sir," Alex began, pulling away from the blonde once more. "My friend really has to use the bathroom. Would you mind if she cut through the kitchen?"

"Sure, sure." He held the door open. "Right this way."

They kissed on the lips again, and then Piper disappeared through the back of the kitchen. Alex took a moment to straighten her hair with her fingertips and ensure that her dress wasn't hitched in the back. She took a deep breath before returning to her mother at the dinner table. She swore she wouldn't let her antics ruin her mom's fine dining experience.

"Sorry about that," she said when she approached their table.

Diane glanced at her daughter with a knowing smirk. "Your lips are swollen."

Her fingers immediately went to her mouth and she rubbed her lips lightly as if that would help. "Fuck."

"What am I going to do with the two of you?" Her mother shook her head.

"Lock me in my room for another five months," Alex demanded. "That's the only way I can promise to keep my hands off of her."

Diane giggled and then gave her daughter a solemn look. "You've been smart for five months; only five more to go."

The brunette raised her glass and clinked it against her mom's as if it were a toast.

Piper and Alex made eyes at each other throughout dinner, and Diane only had to slap her daughter's knee under the table once for being too obvious.

If anyone had asked Alex what she ordered at Anthony's that evening, she wouldn't have been able to recall. _Meat of some kind_. Her attention was solely focused on Piper, a fact that wasn't lost on her mother.

As they made their way out of the restaurant after dessert, Alex looked back at Piper. The blonde gave her a small smile and mouthed, "Bye, Alex."

Alex's heart broke a little more at that moment, and part of her wanted to run back inside and declare her love for the student in front of everyone. She wasn't that stupid; instead, she got into the car with her mom and left her lover at the restaurant, hoping that hers was the only evening that was partially ruined.

"Did I ruin your evening?" she asked her mom.

"Of course not," Diane replied. "The food and service were terrific. So was the scenery. I think you might've enjoyed the scenery a little more than I did though."

Alex huffed. "That was Dante's version of hell."

"I don't know what that means, but I assume you're saying it was hard to _see_ Piper there and not be with her."

"Bingo," she sighed.

"I'm proud of you, kid," Diane offered. "It would be so easy for you to throw caution to the breeze, and say, 'fuck the law.'"

"It's _throw caution to the 'wind_ ,' mom." Alex chuckled. "And thank you. It has definitely not been easy."

The women arrived at home, and Alex excused herself to her room. She took off her dress, slipped on her favorite t-shirt, and then crawled into bed. The only time she didn't think about Piper was when she was sleeping, but she wasn't the type of person who remembered her dreams, so even then, she most likely had her potential lover on her mind.


	12. Chapter 12

The final three chapters are rated M for Mature. **That means if you are 17 or under, like Piper in this story, you need to wave goodbye and go read something else.** (If anyone knows how to make only certain chapters "M" on this site, please PM me.)

Also, I'm going out of town for a few days and won't have the ability to update this story while I'm away, so you'll get the rest of the story between today and tomorrow morning. Thanks for all of the reviews so far! Please keep them coming!

* * *

Over the next six weeks, Piper and Alex texted and talked on the phone more than they had in the weeks before, but they kept their conversations above board. The brunette enjoyed learning more about her potential lover's life and was surprised to learn how wealth could adversely affect a person's life just as much as poverty. Alex, for her part, shared her life's story with the blonde, and she appreciated the way Piper listened without judgement.

Alex intentionally avoided travel near Gateway, and she also stayed away from places that her former students liked to frequent. Besides, she spent five days a week, eight hours a day, at Columbia University.

Her graduate school classes were challenging yet enjoyable. One of her professors had a lead for her at a publishing company that might either pan out as a paid internship or a permanent job in the city. Alex's dream job was to write English textbooks with a 21st century slant, and she was confident that starting at a publishing house was a great way to begin that pursuit.

Spring break came along, and Piper announced that she was going with a few friends to Miami for the week. Alex wasn't thrilled about it, but she would never have considered trying to talk the girl out of it. She'd hate herself for derailing Piper's full high school experience.

The one good thing that came out of the blonde's time in Southern Florida was a photo that she texted to Alex of her lying on the beach in a green bikini. Piper looked _fucking gorgeous_ —her hair was bleached even blonder by the sun, and her skin was a light shade of brown.

On her last night in Miami, Piper called her potential lover. "Alex, Alex, Alex…"

"Piper, are you drunk?" The brunette smiled into the phone.

"I might have had too much to drink, yes." She hiccupped. "Strawberry daiquiris."

"Where are you?" She asked in a tone laced with concern.

"I'm in our hotel room."

"Where is everyone else?"

"At a bonfire on the beach," she slurred. "I wanted to call you when I had some privacy."

"That's nice of you, kid," the brunette replied as she flopped on her bed.

"I've been thinking about you a lot," Piper said in a soft, sultry voice. "Do you want to have phone sex with me?"

She did not expect such a request. "Do I want to? _Yes_. Will we? _No_."

"You're a party pooper," she whined. "I'm going to touch myself anyway. I could probably get off just by listening to your voice. You have a _very_ sexy voice."

Alex had never witnessed Horny Piper, and she didn't know whether to be turned on or fearful that someone might walk in. "I really don't think you should, babe. Not right now."

"When?"

"I don't know," she nervously laughed. "Maybe when you get back from Miami."

"Too late," the blonde breathed heavily into the phone. "I'm touching myself and thinking of your hands on me. Your mouth, sucking my nipple."

The brunette ran a hand through her hair and her breath hitched in her throat. She had a tough choice to make: help Piper get off or end the call and think of Piper getting off without her assistance.

"Pinch your nipple for me," she chose. "Imagine me flicking it with my tongue."

"Mmmm," the blonde moaned.

"I'm kissing your chest, and then your stomach, and then between your legs." She found her own hand traveling down her body and into her pajama bottoms.

"I want you to lick me, Alex." Her breath came out in short waves.

"I'm licking your pussy, babe. Long, slow strokes," Alex was doing to herself with her fingers what she was telling Piper she was doing with her mouth. "Touch yourself for me."

"I am," she whispered. "I have been…Alex, I think I'm going to cum…Oh, ugh, ungh, Alex…I'm cuming…I'm cuming for you!"

The dark haired woman sped up her ministrations on her own sex and tried to keep her orgasm as quiet as possible. "I'm cuming, Piper…God, I want your mouth on me…Fuck, Piper, ooooohhhh!"

All that could be heard on both ends of the line were two women breathing heavily.

When her orgasm subsided, she checked on the younger girl. "You ok?"

"Yeah," Piper replied slowly. "I've never done that before."

"You surprised me." She wiped her fingers on a Kleenex.

"I can't wait until it really happens…when we actually have sex."

"Me, too," Alex whispered. "You sure you're ok?"

"Yeah. I think I'm just going to go to bed."

"Good idea." Alex closed her own eyes. "Good night, Piper."

With that, the phone went dead, and Alex had given Piper her first of what she hoped were _many_ orgasms.

* * *

Although Piper had been more than a little tipsy when they had phone sex, she remembered the event well and was quite bashful on the phone with Alex the next time they spoke. Alex gave her a hard time at first and enjoyed joking with the coming-of-age woman.

They'd agreed to get together, in public, the first week of May to plan their first official date, which would take place the weekend of Piper's 18th birthday. The _in public_ part was significant, because Alex didn't want to be tempted to have sex with the blonde if they were left completely alone. She'd held out for nine months, except for the phone sex, and swore that she'd wait one more month before making Piper _completely_ hers.

It was a spectacular spring morning, and Alex had chosen Strawberry Hill, a breakfast-only café near Delfino Park in White Plains—it was far enough away from Gateway School where they were unlikely to run in to anyone they knew, but close enough for Piper to take a 15 minute bus ride. Alex had instructed the blonde to bring her laptop and a novel, that way if anyone approached them from school, they'd have a handy excuse as to why they were meeting.

"Hi, sleepy head," Alex greeted the younger woman with a hug.

The blonde had arrived fashionably late and looked like she'd just rolled out of bed. "Sorry, late night."

"Up drinking?"

"No," she took a big sip of water. "I have a US history presentation on Monday, and I was up until 3 a.m. with Polly, putting together the Power Point."

"What's it on?" Alex signaled for the waiter.

"The Transcontinental Railroad and how it changed commerce," she announced as she combed her hair with her fingers, and then tied it in a ponytail.

"Sounds fascinating."

The waiter approached, and the women each ordered a cup of coffee.

"I was at a Debate competition when we got to choose our topic," the blonde stated as she pulled out a novel just for show. "Polly was late for class that day, so we got the last possible choice. Let me tell you, it's a real barn burner."

"Not everything you'll write in college is about something that you _want_ to write about." She opened a sugar packet and dumped it into her coffee.

The two made small talk about American history, college life and the gorgeous weather. By the time they finished breakfast, Piper's mood became lighter.

"Before we plan our official first date," the blonde began with a grin. "You have to ask me out."

"Oh, that's how it is?" Alex lifted one brow. She pushed her plate out of the way and reached for the girl's hand. "Piper Chapman, will you go out with me?"

She bit her lower lip. " _Yes_."

The dark haired woman squeezed her hand, and then released it, feeling a bit dorky for having to ask. "Now that that's settled, where do you want to go?"

"I have the perfect plan."

Piper went on to tell Alex about her family's second home in Amagansett, a small hamlet in East Hampton. It was half a mile from the beach and equal distance to the charming Main Street. No one would be using the house until Independence Day, so it was the perfect spot for them to spend the weekend.

"It makes me a little nervous," the brunette said. "What if someone shows up unexpectedly?"

"My parents will be in New Zealand, so there's no chance of that. They're leaving the day after my graduation."

"What about your brothers? Does your family rent it out in the summer?"

Piper put a hand on Alex's knee under the table. "My brothers hate that house—too many bad memories, and no, my parents don't rent it to anyone."

Alex covered the blonde's hand with hers. "Do _you_ have bad memories, too?"

"No, not really. I just remember it being boring when I was younger, but during the day, I went to the beach and at night, I had my nose in a book, so I never really had to be around my parents."

"And that's the place you want to…" Alex paused and looked down. "…to have our first date?"

"That's the place where I want to begin our lives together," she responded in a sweet yet serious tone.

Alex smiled. "Then Amagansett it is."

Alex wondered if their talk about 'the beginning of their lives together' was too optimistic. After all, she had no idea how they'd gel as a romantic couple. She had high hopes for a future with the younger woman, but she'd also been in enough relationships to know that it didn't always work out as she'd hoped. Nevertheless, her relationship with Piper was different, and of all of the women who Alex dated, Piper seemed to be the one with whom she was most compatible.

* * *

Although Piper wanted Alex to go to her high school graduation, the two decided that it wasn't worth it. Both women would be called in different directions, and they couldn't act as if they were a couple—at least not for another four days.

Instead, Alex decided to focus on their first weekend alone together when they could legally be a couple.

She'd never had trouble throwing a few pairs of jeans or shorts into a duffle back and calling it 'packing,' but this time, it was difficult. She wanted to be as casual as she always was, but she also wanted to take Piper out for a night on the town and had no fucking clue what people wore to fancy dinners in the Hamptons.

The day before Piper's 18th birthday, the two decided to talk on the phone to make travel arrangements.

"Last chance to back out," Alex said into the receiver.

"No way in hell that's going to happen." She could hear Piper's smile.

"Alright, kid, then what's the plan?" She folded a black linen dress and shoved it into her suitcase.

"I'll take the bus to Amagansett on Friday morning to get the house in order," the blonde said. "You'll meet me after your 1 o'clock class."

"I'm borrowing my mom's car, so I should be there by 4." She put Piper's wrapped graduation gift into her suitcase. "You have the keys?"

"Picked them up last week," she replied. "I even told my parents I was staying there over the weekend for my birthday, and they thought it was a 'neat' idea."

"Well, I'm looking forward to celebrating your birthday with you, babe."

"I don't know if I'll be able to sleep tonight," Piper said with a grin.

Alex smirked. "You're going to need your rest."

"I'll see you tomorrow, Alex."

"See you tomorrow, kid." With that, she hung up and her heart beat wildly in her chest.


	13. Chapter 13

**This chapter is rated M for Mature. Please do not continue reading if you are not of a proper age.**

* * *

Located on one of highly coveted 'dirt roads' of Amagansett, the Chapman's cottage sat on more than an acre of land. The landscaped grounds begged for a hammock and a good book. Alex pulled up in her mom's beat up Corolla and immediately felt out of place among the Mercedes, BMWs and Audis that lined the long driveways along the winding road.

Her feeling out of place only lasted a minute as her heart raced at the thought of seeing Piper for the first time in a month and knowing what this weekend would bring. At midnight, Piper would turn 18 and Alex could _show_ her how she felt.

She grabbed her suitcase from the trunk and proceeded up the distressed brick path to the front door. Before she could ring the doorbell, Piper came running out and almost knocked the dark haired woman down.

The blonde wrapped her arms around Alex's waist and kissed her firmly on the mouth without preamble.

After a minute of some pretty intense kissing, Alex smiled. "Hey, babe."

"Hi." Piper bit her lower lip. "Welcome."

"This place wasn't easy to find," she said, while looking at the expansive living room that bled into the modern kitchen.

"Privacy is one of the privileges of owning a home here." She took the older woman's hand and led her into the center of the room. "I'll show you around."

"Clearly this is the living room," the brunette stated. She looked up at the pitched cedar ceiling and the massive river rock fireplace. "It's charming."

They walked into the kitchen, which was outfitted with Viking stainless steel appliances. Piper opened the door to the liquor cabinet. "I used to sneak in here when I was younger and drink the brandy."

The brunette laughed. "When you were _younger_? What, were you like 12?"

"Yes," was all she responded. She grabbed Alex's hand and walked her to the downstairs bedrooms. One had bunk beds, the other had a twin bed in the middle of the room. "This room is clearly mine."

"Yellow and pink décor. How appropriate for the young lady," Alex said with a grin.

"We're going to stay in my parents' room. It's much more impressive."

They walked up a set of stairs to the master bedroom, which also had cedar pitched ceilings. There was a queen sized bed in the room, under two skylights. To the left was a set of French doors that led out onto a balcony, which had two red rocking chairs flanked to the side.

Alex stepped outside and could see the ocean from that vantage point. "I plan to spend some time out here."

"I used to come up here to read," the blonde said as she joined her on the balcony. "Even though it's off of my parents' room, they couldn't find me. It was my secret hideaway."

The dark haired woman kissed her on the forehead. She walked back inside and stood in the middle of the room. "You sure you're comfortable sleeping in your parents' bed?"

"Positive." She reached up to kiss her lover on the side of the mouth before whispering, "That other room, ' _my'_ room, represents my childhood, and I'm not a child anymore."

Alex wiped her lover's bangs across her forehead. "No, you're not." She kissed her softly on the lips, and they simultaneously deepened the kiss.

"It feels so good to kiss you, Alex," she said in a quiet voice with eyes shut.

"Likewise, babe." The dark haired woman smiled tenderly at her. "Was that a swimming pool I saw out there?"

"Yeah," Piper replied, grabbing Alex's hand and walking back downstairs.

They went out onto the deck, which needed sanding, and looked at the pool.

"I called our lawn company yesterday, and they came to uncover the pool and make sure everything was in working order out here."

Alex wiggled her eyebrows. "Want to go skinny dipping?"

Piper smiled wickedly. "I'm game if you are."

"Can anyone see us?"

"So what if they can?" She bit her lip. "Are you chicken?"

"No." The dark haired woman stepped closer to her companion and lifted Piper's shirt over her head.

The blonde gulped as she stood there with only a bright pink bra and khaki shorts.

Alex took a step back and stared at her lover before removing her own shirt, and then her jeans. "Come here."

The blonde took a small step forward, allowing Alex to remove her bra. The brunette's hands immediately covered Piper's breasts, and both women let out a small moan. When she was done massaging her lover's breasts, she unbuttoned Piper's shorts, which immediately fell to the ground.

The younger woman peeled off her underwear and stood before her lover completely naked.

"You're too fucking beautiful."

"Your turn." Piper reached out to remove her lover's bra, and then peeled her purple underwear off her body.

They stood there, inches apart, and stared at each other for a moment before both of their hands reached out to touch the other. Before they knew it, they were tangled together, pressing hard against the other's body and lips locked in a ferocious kiss.

"You feel so good," the blonde breathed out.

"Mmm hmm," Alex responded, not allowing her lips to leave her lover's mouth. "Before this goes too far, what about the skinny dipping?"

Piper laughed against her mouth before pulling away, taking three huge steps and jumping into the water. " _Fuck_ , it's cold!"

Alex shook her head. "I'm not coming in if it's cold."

Piper hoisted herself up on the lip of the pool and chased a squealing Alex down. When she caught up with her lover, she wrapped her frigid body around her despite Alex's protests. "No, Piper! You're fucking freezing! Get off me!"

The blonde kissed Alex's neck over and over, whispering between kisses, "You're coming in, like it or not." She used all her strength to wrestle her naked lover into the swimming pool.

"Fuck!" Alex popped up out of the cold water, immediately reaching for her glasses.

"Looking for these?" Piper, who was still standing on the deck, had placed Alex's black frames on her own face.

She wiped the water out of her eyes. "If I could see you better, I would assume you look hot."

Instead of jumping in, the blonde walked to the right side of the pool and eased herself in, step by step, shimmying her hips as she proceeded into the water, eyeglasses still firmly in place. "Can you see me now?"

"If you don't wear glasses, I'm buying you frames." She swam over to her lover. "You're a hot nerd."

"Takes one to know one." Piper smiled.

They wrapped their arms around each other again, this time softly, slowly kissing each other. The slickness of Piper's wet body brought a different kind of wetness to Alex's center.

"As much as I want to have sex with you right now, babe, it's not going to happen until midnight." The dark haired woman removed her glasses from the girl's face and placed them on her own.

Piper looked at her lover like she had three heads. "You have to be kidding."

"No, I'm not." She swam away from the blonde, still facing her, a smirk firmly in place. "You're not 18 until the clock strikes 12."

"Alex, we're _fucking naked_ in a pool together, and we just had our hands all over each other," she pouted. "I don't want to stop."

"I promise to make it well worth the wait." She stood fully in the three feet of water and wrung out her hair. "Now let's have some fun. Couples who play together, stay together."

"You're so fucking cheesy." The younger woman tried to hide her smile as she slapped away Alex's arm as it encircled her waist, but her protestations were only for show. She wasted no time, draping her own arms around the brunette's shoulders.

They twirled in the water, smiling, laughing and kissing, until the sun peeked behind the house and the breeze picked up. Deciding it was too cold to be in the water, Piper tugged her lover's hand up the steps and into the house where she grabbed two oversized towels. They assisted each other drying off, and Piper offered to build a fire.

"While you do that, mind if I take a shower?"

"Go for it." She kissed Alex on the side of the mouth.

When she was under the gentle spray of the shower, Alex closed her eyes and let the water stream on her face. She couldn't believe she was really there— _in Piper's home_ , away from the rest of the world—and going to have sex with her that night. A smile slowly formed on her face, and laughter escaped her mouth.

She dried off and went into the bedroom to find a robe on the bed, apparently placed there by her lover. "Is this for me?" She called downstairs.

"The robe? Yeah. It's a gift."

Alex put on the ivory colored robe and basked in the luxurious, Turkish material. (Her old robe was a tattered piece of cotton that she ended up throwing away in Berkeley.) She dried her hair with a towel and journeyed downstairs. "You didn't have to buy me a gift."

Piper was standing in front of the fire, wrapped in a beach towel. "I wanted to give you something that only we would see—something intimate and comfortable."

"This was a perfect choice." She kissed her. "Thank you."

Alex sat on the sofa, inviting Piper to join her on her lap. Before she knew it, Piper had fallen asleep curled up against her. Alex didn't dare move—it was too comfortable and intimate to wake the sleeping young woman. She drifted off as well and didn't wake until the chirp of a phone startled her.

"What time is it?" Piper reached for the phone on the coffee table. "7:45," she answered her own question.

"Was that your phone or mine?" Alex asked, holding Piper closer.

Piper scrolled through her messages. "Must've been yours."

The brunette kissed her lover on the cheek before standing and finding her mobile phone. "Fuck, I forgot that I made dinner reservations at 8!"

Piper smiled. "You made reservations for the two of us?"

"Yes, and we're going to be late."

"I'll throw on some clothes, and we'll go." The blonde shrugged.

"And what do you suggest? That I go in my new robe?" Alex asked with mock indignation, her faint smile giving her away.

"Easier access for me." She slid a hand into the gap of Alex's robe and caressed her stomach.

"If you continue doing that, we won't make it to dinner." Alex kissed her. "And I insist upon taking you out for your birthday."

Piper planted three more kisses on the older woman's lips. "If you say so."

* * *

They walked the half mile to Main Street and were only 10 minutes late for their reservation. Alex apologized to the hostess, who didn't seem to care. The restaurant was full, but there didn't appear to be a wait.

The women sat at a corner table and touched hands, arms, legs—anything within reach. Alex wasn't ashamed of touching Piper that night, after all, in three hours, she'd be 18 and wouldn't have to feel guilty about a damn thing.

After a delicious seafood feast, they walked down the quaint street for an hour, admiring the little boutiques and restaurants where the rich shopped and dined.

"Piper!" A boy waved as he approached on his skateboard.

"Hey, Abe," the blonde replied, taking a step away from Alex.

"Is that you, Alex?" The boy asked, stepping on the tail of his skateboard and picking it up. "Remember me?"

"Of course I do, Abe." Alex nervously brushed her hair over her shoulder. Abe was in the same class as Piper when she was substituting. "How's it going?"

"Fine," he replied, glancing between the women. "What are you two doing here?"

The women exchanged glances. When Piper didn't chime in, Alex decided to answer. "I'd never been to the Hamptons," she started. "Piper invited me to check it out."

"Cool," he replied. "Where are you staying?"

Piper swallowed hard, but tried to act casual. "At my parents' house."

"Are they around?" He asked. "My folks would probably want to see them. You know how they like to drink martinis and send us out for errands."

"Um, no," Piper replied. "They're…they didn't make it this time."

Abe looked confused. "So, it's just the two of you?"

Alex lifted her chin. "Yes, just the two of us. Piper turns 18 tomorrow."

"Do you two, like, hang out and stuff?" He probed.

The dark haired woman folded her arms. "We'll probably hang out quite a bit more…when Piper turns 18."

Abe lifted his eyebrows. "Um, ok. Got it…I better get going. I'm picking up fro yo for my family."

"It was good seeing you, Abe," Alex said.

"Yeah, um, you, too." With that, he zipped away on his skateboard, looking back once.

"Oh my God!" Piper exhaled. She looked like she didn't know whether she wanted to smile or cry. "What the fuck?"

Alex shrugged and rubbed her back. "Relax, kid. It won't matter what he thinks in an hour and a half."

Piper shook her head. "He's probably going home to masturbate at the thought of you and me together."

The brunette whacked her arm. "Piper!"

She shrugged. "What? We're hot…People will think we're hot together."

Alex smirked. "I'm taking you home, kid."


	14. Chapter 14

This chapter is rated M+ for obvious reasons. Please don't read if you are underage.

* * *

Author's Notes: I have one bit of good news and two bits of bad news.

Bad news: This is the final chapter of this story. I feel strongly about letting it end here, allowing the audience to pause at the end to contemplate what has happened and what might happen. Thank you for reading, and if you enjoyed it, please leave a review.

Good news: I hope to outweigh the bad news by telling you that while I was posting _Liminal Space_ , I've written a sequel called, _Full Circle_. It's done, but it needs some finesse—all 65 pages. It almost picks up where this story left off, so that might make some of you happy. If you're happy and you know it, leave a review.

Bad news: I won't be able to publish the sequel until the end of July. I'm going out of the country with little to no internet access, so you'll have to wait to read that one. Look at the bright side: at least you don't have to wait a year!

Thanks again for the reviews so far. If you have questions, you're best served by private messaging me.

* * *

Alex grabbed her girlfriend's hand on their walk back to the cottage, and the blonde rested her head on the taller woman's shoulder. After Piper unlocked and opened the door, Alex jerked her back before she was able to step inside.

"Wait," she said, taking both of Piper's hands in hers. "Have you ever heard of liminal space?"

Piper creased her brow. "No."

Alex tucked a piece of blonde hair behind the young woman's ear as they stood face to face. "It's when you're stuck between two worlds, like being in the middle of a doorway—you're not _in_ , and you aren't _out_." Alex looked around at their current position in the door frame. "It's like being in a threshold of waiting, and knowing that you have to make a step in either direction. If you step back, you're stuck in the past, and if you step forward, you're thrust into something new...something unexplored. Liminal spaces are everywhere in life; they're inevitable."

Piper licked her lips. "So this is my liminal space?"

"Technically, it's _ours_ ," Alex whispered. "But I guess it's more yours since, you know, you haven't been with a woman before."

"Then let's step forward together," Piper replied, reaching up to kiss Alex on the lips.

Alex scanned the younger woman's eyes for any sign of hesitation and saw none. She wanted this as much as Alex did, and that sent her heart soaring. She grabbed Piper's hand as they walked into the house.

Piper leaned against the door. "I'm ready."

The women hugged, and Alex relished in the younger woman's embrace.

"I should, um, take a shower first," Piper said.

Alex smiled. "You _do_ kind of smell like chlorine."

"By the time I'm done, it'll be close to midnight." She wiggled her eyebrows.

Alex looked at her watch and chuckled. "It takes you 40 minutes to shower?"

She playfully slapped her arm. "I said _close to_ midnight."

While Piper showered, Alex changed into the new lingerie she'd bought a couple of days ago. It was a simple plum colored lace halter that left little to the imagination. She'd bought something similar for Piper, only hers was blue. She felt silly for a moment, thinking she'd never purchased lingerie for any of her other girlfriends, nor did she even _own_ something sexy like this before two days ago.

This night was a big deal for both of them, and she wanted it to be special for Piper for several reasons.

As the clock ticked to 11:45, her palms began to sweat. She went downstairs and got a glass of ice water. After a few sips, she heard the shower stop. She'd left the negligée on the bed for Piper to find with a little note that she'd written before she left home.

Alex went back upstairs after finishing her water and ensuring that all of the doors were locked. "Pipes?"

She strolled out of the bathroom in the lingerie, nearly taking Alex's breath away. "Thank you for this."

" _Fuck_ ," she huffed.

"And for the note." Piper stepped closer. "I appreciate your offer to take things slow, but I don't think I can wait another minute."

Alex took a deep breath and shook her head. "You're beautiful, Piper."

She reached a hand out to cup Alex's face. "So are you."

Alex closed the distance between them, kissing her lover lightly on the lips. Piper untied the belt on Alex's robe, pushing the material aside and noticing her purple negligée. It was Piper's turn to be rendered speechless.

Alex smirked, and then stepped closer, pulling Piper's body against hers. She traced a pattern down the younger woman's neck and onto the lace above her breasts, letting her lips follow her fingertips.

"Are you nervous?" she asked, dangerously close to sucking Piper's nipple into her mouth through the fabric.

"Mmm mmm." Piper ran a hand down the back of Alex's neck and onto her back. She didn't stop there. She grabbed a handful of Alex's butt and pulled her closer. "I've wanted to touch your ass since we met."

Alex smiled. "Yeah?"

Piper nodded, massaging her ass with both hands now. "Yes."

"Is it everything you hoped it would be? You know, round and all." She chuckled but didn't lose the thick, seductive voice that she could see was turning her lover on.

Piper moaned. " _Yes_."

The brunette swiped her blonde hair aside and kissed behind her ear and down her neck, moving the spaghetti strap with one hand and holding Piper's body close with the other at the small of her back.

"Is there anything you…" she lost her train of thought when Alex's lips got close to her breast once again. "You wanted to touch since we met?"

"All of you?" Alex tried.

"Can you be more specific?" Piper rubbed her hand up and down her lover's lace-covered side.

"Mmm, let me think." She wrapped her lips around Piper's nipple, causing the younger woman to moan loudly. "These, for sure."

She put her hand on the back of Alex's head, crushing her against her breast. "What else?"

"I remember seeing a sliver of your stomach when you came to my house after running the first day we met," Alex admitted, using her tongue to make Piper's nipple even tauter. "You'd lifted the hem of your shirt to wipe the sweat off your forehead, which exposed your abs. I wanted to touch them."

"You mean like this?" Piper took one of her lover's hands and placed it on her belly.

It was Alex's turn to moan. She lowered the other strap, yanking the fabric down until Piper was completely naked in front of her. Alex dropped to her knees and kissed and nipped at Piper's abdomen. "More like this."

"Ahhh," Piper breathed. "Did you ever think we'd get to this?"

Alex stopped her motions and looked into Piper's eyes. "Yeah. I mean, I wanted it to happen, and I got the feeling you did, too."

"I did. I _do_ ," Piper admitted, hands snarled in Alex's dark hair.

The Grandfather clock rang twelve times, and both women smiled until the point of laughter.

"Happy birthday, babe."

Piper's expression sobered as she traced her hand down Alex's head to her cheek. "I know what I want for my birthday."

The older woman stood, and then backed them up until Piper's thighs hit the bed. Her knees bent and she fell backwards.

"Oh yeah?" Alex stepped out of her lingerie, exposing herself to her lover. "What's that?"

" _You_." Piper reached up, rubbing Alex's thighs with her strong hands. She touched Alex's center, causing the brunette to arch her neck and groan.

Not to be outdone, Alex crawled on top of Piper, kissing her way down the blonde's tight body. She spent ample time on each breast, and Piper's hips jutted off the mattress several times as if hoping for contact someplace else.

"Eager?" Alex smirked as she kissed her way down her lover's side.

"Yeah." She arched her hips up again.

Alex trailed her hand down Piper's center, dragging her index finger through her folds. She smiled when she discovered the extreme wetness between Piper's legs. "So I see." She popped the finger in her mouth, causing the blonde to nearly come undone.

Slowly, Alex moved her mouth down further until she hovered over Piper's center. She reached down with her tongue, parting her folds with the tip and getting a fair amount of juice on her tongue. She wanted more, so she made another lap.

And another.

And another.

She _did_ taste like vanilla.

Three licks, and Piper was screaming her name and scrunching Alex's hair, bucking her pussy into her face. "Don't stop, Alex, God!"

As the blonde came down from her orgasm, Alex lifted her head and smiled. "Good?"

"Oh, my God." Piper panted loudly and nodded. "Can I do you?"

Alex chuckled, wiping her mouth on her upper arm. "You don't have to ask."

The women kissed, using more tongue than in previous kisses. Piper climbed on top of Alex, who was still sitting up, and grinded into her. Alex adjusted her legs, allowing the friction of their centers to match up until they were bucking into each other. She reached a hand between them and rubbed the younger woman's clit until Piper had her second orgasm.

"That's not fair," Piper huffed, taking in deep breaths. "I wanted to do you."

"You can still _do me_ , you know." Alex kissed her neck. "We have all the time in the world."

Piper smirked, shoving Alex down on her back. She crawled down the older woman's body, kissing a trail straight between her breasts, down her stomach and finally, to her center. "You smell good."

It was Alex's turn to arch her hips, longing for contact of any kind. "I'm so fucking wet for you."

"Should I use my finger or my tongue first?" The blonde questioned.

"You pick." Alex pushed a stray piece of blonde hair behind her ear. "But hurry."

"Now who's the eager one?" Piper ran a finger down her center, pulling it out and looking at the wetness on her fingertip. She tentatively brought the finger to her mouth, putting it all the way in and sucking on it like a lollipop. She repeated the motion several times until Alex writhed beneath her. "I'm going to need you to take this to the next level, babe."

Piper smirked, clearly proud of herself. She crawled to the edge of the bed and opened Alex's folds with both index fingers and looked inside her pussy. Without warning, Piper used the fullness of her tongue and dragged it slowly from her opening to her clit.

"Fuck!" Alex yelled. "Oh, Piper…ungh! Right there, right there."

Piper made another pass, this time a little harder. She continued the motion five times before settling on the little nub that made Alex squirm. She bit it gently, and then bathed it with the tip of her tongue. That action made Alex cum harder than she could ever remember. She yelled her lover's name and crushed Piper's face into her pussy, begging her not to stop.

When her orgasm subsided, Alex beckoned Piper up with the crook of her finger. "That was amazing."

"It was." She kissed Alex on the mouth, wasting no time in sharing her taste with the brunette. They continued making out heavily, hands all over each other once again. Alex ran her hand to Piper's pussy again, digging inside to find her opening. She shoved one, and then two fingers inside. "You like that?"

Piper's mouth hung open, and Alex could tell she was on the verge of her third orgasm.

"Ungh, Alex! I'm cuming, I'm cuming, I'm cuming!" She sat on Alex's hand, fucking her fingers harder until the orgasm ran its course.

"I'll never get enough of you," Alex whispered into Piper's ear.

"Good."

They kissed again, and this time Piper positioned her lover where she wanted her—the blonde was on her back, and Alex was on her knees, her center hovering over Piper's mouth. Piper wrapped her arms around Alex's thighs, pulling her pussy down to her mouth. The slurping sounds that the blonde was making, and the feeling of her tongue going in and out of her opening was enough to throw Alex over the edge again. She bucked against Piper's face, almost crying at the pleasure that washed over her.

When her orgasm ran its course, Alex crawled down, lying her whole body over Piper's. She licked the blonde's glistening chin, kissing her with their mingled juices.

"I love the way you taste," Piper commented.

"I love the way _you_ taste," Alex agreed.

They continued making love the entire night, each experiencing at least eight orgasms, until they fell asleep in each other's arms.

* * *

At one point, the sun shone so bright through the skylights, Piper woke up. She felt the weight of her lover's thigh draped over her legs and smiled. "Alex?"

"Hmm?" She didn't open her eyes.

"Wake up," she demanded, pushing a finger into her naked side.

"What's wrong?" Alex lifted her head, wiping her sticky hair out of her face.

"Nothing's wrong." Piper smiled widely. "Does this mean we're officially a couple?"

Although it was too early for Alex to fully smile on any given day, she couldn't help it. "Yes, Piper. We are officially a couple."

The blonde kissed her on the cheek and bolted out of bed. "I want to call your mom!"

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Alex rolled onto her back. "You just had your head between my legs and you want to _call my mom_?"

"She'll want to know that we're officially a couple."

"Come here." Alex sat up and grabbed her lover around the waist, tugging her back into the bed. "We can call my mom later. Right now, I want to bask in the afterglow of sex with you."

"Is that a thing?" Piper asked, smirking.

She kissed her shoulder. "Yes, it's a thing."

The two women gazed into each other's eyes.

"I'm so in love with you, Alex," Piper admitted with a slight blush on her cheeks.

"Good." She kissed her nose.

"That's all I get: _good_?!" Piper pulled back and gave her an astonished look.

"It would be cheesy for me to say the same thing to you," she complained.

The blonde struggled to get out of bed again, but Alex flipped her over and pinned her down. "Alright, alright!" She kissed her again, deepening the kiss on the third pass. "Piper Chapman, I am _totally_ , _completely_ , _head over fucking heels_ in love with you."

The blonde grinned. "That's more like it."

Something stirred within Alex again, and before she knew it, they were making love again. This would never get old, she thought. If she could have any wish in the world, it would be to make Piper Chapman happy for the rest of her life.

THE END


	15. Sequel, Chapter 1

Author's Note: As promised, I'm done with the sequel to _Liminal Space_ and am posting it in the middle of July rather than the end. I wanted to use the title, _Full Circle_ , but there is another story with that name in this fandom, and I didn't want the two confused. As always, this story is complete and will be posted daily. The chapters aren't broken down yet, but the Word document is 70 pages to give you an idea of the story's length. I've decided to rate the whole story M for Mature, so go away, children.

Feedback is always encouraged.

* * *

There was a time in Alex's life when she _thought_ she was in love. It was her first semester at Berkeley, and Grace Moody was the assistant coach for the women's tennis team. She was a looker—tall, muscular, dark brown hair, femme. They wasted no time becoming acquainted, and within the second week of classes, Alex and Grace were a couple.

Alex remembered being enamored by the older woman, impatiently waiting for her to call, and being disappointed in November when her phone stopped ringing. She chalked up her uncharacteristic behavior to a completely new setting, knowing no one else within a thousand miles. To be fair, they had little in common—Alex was disinterested in sports in general, and Grace hated to read for pleasure.

Looking back on that time in her life, when she was the closest she'd ever been to being in love, made Alex laugh. Grace Moody didn't hold a candle to Piper Chapman. However, what the brunette feared most was that Piper was young and sensitive, and this was the first time she'd been in love. Perhaps the young woman was smitten with Alex because of how they'd met—Alex the teacher, Piper the student. There was intrigue and risk involved, making it somehow more exciting than, say, if they'd met in a bar or a book shop.

It bothered Alex so much—this wondering about Piper's true feelings—that she vowed to bring it up when they saw each other again.

* * *

"Are you packed for college?" Alex asked as she joined Piper in the hammock.

This was their fifth time that summer meeting at the Chapman cottage in Amagansett.

Piper scooted forward, allowing her lover to get behind her so that she could be Alex's spoon. She dog eared a page in a novel and threw the book on the ground. "Mostly."

Alex kissed her on the cheek. "What's left?"

The blonde shrugged. "Bedding, toiletries…things like that."

She pulled back to look at Piper's face. "You sound… _off_. Is something wrong?"

"Maybe." She lowered her hand to the ground to give them a good push.

"Do you want to tell me about it?" Alex asked with expectation in her tone.

Piper sighed. "This is probably our last time together before I leave for Smith."

The brunette raised her eyebrows. "Is that what's been bothering you?"

She turned her body to face Alex's. "Isn't it bothering _you_?"

It was Alex's turn to shrug. "Yeah, but I'm trying not to be a fatalist."

"I'm a realist," she commented. "And I leave for college in four days, which means we won't see each other for weeks, maybe months."

She brushed a strand of hair out of the blonde's face. "Life goes on, Piper. One thing we can't control is time."

" _Time does not pass, it continues_ ," Piper said sadly, twirling a piece of Alex's hair with her finger.

She grinned. "Look at you, quoting Marty Rubin."

The blonde gazed into her girlfriend's eyes and whispered, "I love you, Alex."

She looked away.

"Aren't you going to say it back?"

"I was just thinking…" Alex began, eyes trained on the cotton knit of the hammock. "Are you in love with me, or is it something else? Like admiration, respect, sex…"

Piper sat up, causing the hammock to nearly flip. "You don't think I know what love is?"

Alex shrugged. "Have you been in love before?"

She jutted her head back. "Why would that matter?"

"I'm just wondering if…if you can call what you feel for me, _love_."

"Fuck you, Alex!" Piper hastily got out of the hammock, causing it to sway wildly. "I know what I feel for you, and it _is_ love. I know because I've never experienced anything like it in my entire life—not with my family, not with my friends, and certainly not with another woman!"

"Ok, got it," she lowered her voice, regretful about bringing up the subject.

"You're testing me." She put her hands on her hips. "You want some kind of insurance before I leave that proves that I love you and won't fuck around on you."

"That's not it at all." Alex got out of the hammock.

"It's the age difference and the time I'm at in my life," Piper stated, backing away. "How could an 18-year-old know what love is, right? Like you're this _wise_ adult who has all this experience with love."

"Piper, I…"

"No, Alex." She pointed harshly and raised her voice. "You don't get to teach me what love is. I don't need to _learn_ about love from you or from some fucking novel! I know what I feel."

"Piper," she tried again, taking a step towards the blonde. "I didn't meat to..."

Piper turned away from her lover, but not before swiping a tear off her cheek. "Don't treat me like a child!"

"You are not a child," Alex said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry if that's what I insinuated."

The blonde shrugged her hand off and wiped another stray tear.

"Maybe we should take a break when you go to college," Alex tried, looking absently at the trees swaying against the blue sky, wishing for a moment that she was an inanimate object with no feelings and no ability to care.

Piper turned around with red eyes, seemingly astonished at Alex's suggestion. "Is that what you want?"

"I want you to experience college and everything that goes along with that." She shrugged and looked away. "I don't want you to feel tied down; like you have to answer to me."

Piper took two steps forward and said slowly, "I just explained to you that I know what love is, and that I'm _in love with you_ , and you want to break up?"

"Just until you get adjusted. Then we can see where that leaves us." Alex couldn't believe the words coming out of her own mouth. _Where in the fuck was this coming from_? Fear? Anxiety? Panic? She hadn't planned on breaking up with her young lover—quite the opposite, in fact.

Piper's chin quivered. "Leave."

"Come on, Piper. It doesn't have to be this big, permanent thing…"

She pointed towards the driveway. "Just fucking go," she demanded in an unstable voice.

Alex shook her head, fighting back her own tears. "This isn't what I'd planned."

Piper shook her head, and then rushed inside; Alex didn't know what to do. She dried her eyes with her shirt sleeve and dipped her toe in the pool, remembering three months earlier when they went skinny dipping the afternoon before they had sex for the first time.

Piper returned with her own suitcase, purse, and car keys and stood on the deck with sad eyes.

"What are you doing?" Alex feigned a laugh, hoping that the scene before her wasn't what it looked like.

"I'm leaving," Piper announced calmly. "Stay here as long as you'd like." She walked towards the fence that led to the driveway, twisting her head around. "Give me a call when _you_ know what love is."

"Piper!" It was no use. She walked through the gate, started the car and drove away. Alex ran after her, but the blonde didn't turn around. Alex stood there, stuck in her own tracks, stunned by what had just transpired.

This was not even _remotely_ what she'd intended. She walked back into the house, too stunned to cry. Alex glanced around the room and noticed the large quilt on the floor that they'd used the night before to cover themselves in front of the fireplace. She looked at the table and saw the remnants of the heart-shaped pancakes that Piper had poked fun of her for making earlier that morning.

Alex walked upstairs and heard the iPod speaker in the bathroom, where they'd taken a bubble bath in the oversized tub. _Georgia on My Mind_ was playing, and Alex had to stifle a sob at remembering when they'd danced to that song at her mom's house on Thanksgiving. She remembered the significance of that day, because it was when she realized she was falling in love with Piper.

She covered her mouth and looked at the rumpled bed. She picked up a pillow—the one Piper liked most during their five other times at the Chapman cottage—and sniffed it. It still smelled like her, all lavender and salt air. She collapsed on the bed, allowing her tears to fall unchecked. Alex shoved her glasses on top of her head and wept—wept for the way she'd gotten it all wrong. She'd wanted to be the unselfish one, allowing Piper a way out so that she didn't feel obligated to stay with her while she was away at college. Wasn't that the very definition of love? An unselfish desire for the happiness of another?

Alex didn't know how long she laid on the bed, but she'd cried herself to sleep and woke up when it was dark outside. "Piper?" she called instinctively, wondering for a moment if it was all just a bad dream. She dashed out of bed and ran downstairs. "Piper?"

She lowered her head and resigned herself to the fact that her lover was gone, and she was left all alone in a house filled with memories.


	16. Sequel, Chapter 2

Four days had gone by, and Alex hadn't heard a word from Piper. She knew the young woman was stubborn, and she most likely wouldn't reach out to Alex until Alex reached out to her. The brunette was stuck at a crossroads—call Piper, apologize, and offer to drive her to Smith; or allow Piper to try life on her own at college without being romantically involved with Alex.

"Alright, Al, you've been moping around like a lovesick puppy," Diane said, offering her daughter half of her chocolate chip cookie. "Something happened with you and Piper?"

Alex huffed. "How'd you guess?"

She sat next to her daughter. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really, no." She pretended to read a book, but she'd been stuck on page 26 for the last 10 minutes.

"Isn't she moving into the dorm today?" Her mom asked. "That's gotta suck."

Alex lifted her eyes off the page. "Thanks for reminding me."

"She didn't want you to go with her?" Diane pressed.

"I don't want to talk about it," she snapped, closing the novel and resting her head on the back of the sofa.

The two women sat in silence, and Alex concentrated on the tick of the clock hanging on the wall. "We broke up." The words burned in her throat.

"No fucking way! That doesn't make any sense."

"We got into an argument about love, of all things, and I said that we should take a break." She shoved her finger and thumb under her black frames and rubbed her tired eyes.

"You two seemed so happy," Diane commented quietly.

"I _was_ happy," Alex admitted, turning her head to look at her mother. "But I think Piper needs to experience college on her own and not be tied down to me or wonder what I'm doing when she should be enjoying herself."

"Don't you think Piper should be the one who determines how she wants to spend her time in college?"

Alex shook her head as if there was _no way_ her mom could understand.

"Piper is a thoughtful, mature young woman," Diane continued. "I never got the impression that she wanted to 'escape' in college the way you did." She rested her hand on her daughter's leg. "I watched her fall in love with you, Al. I can't speak for Piper, but I would bet she knows exactly what she wants, and that's _you_."

"I hope you're right." She smiled as best she could and then excused herself to her bedroom.

Alex tried to busy herself with reading, but it was no use. She couldn't take her mind off of Piper. Finally, she pulled out her phone and wrote ten messages in the text box, but deleted all of them. She settled on a simple statement and hit send: _I'm a jackass_.

Thirty minutes went by, and Alex felt like she suffered more with every tick of the clock, until she received Piper's reply: _No arguments here_.

Alex smiled at the text and felt her heart beat at a more normal pace. _Moved in yet?_

Piper: _Yeah, will call you later…jackass._

She ran a hand through her hair. That was _something_.

Alex spent the evening helping her mom make chicken noodle soup. As she was peeling carrots, her cell phone rang. She glanced at the number, grabbed her phone and told her mom, "I have to take this." She walked to her room as she answered the call. "Hello?"

"Hi," Piper said with what Alex could tell was a perturbed but faint smile.

"Hey," she said apologetically. "I'm an idiot."

"I thought you were a jackass?"

"Take your pick," Alex said with a half-laugh.

"How about both?"

"Sure…yeah, we'll go with both today." She bowed her head. "How was moving in?"

"Stressful," Piper breathed. "My parents argued the whole time and didn't pay attention to anything I had to say."

She shut her bedroom door. "Is that a surprise?"

"No," Piper admitted. Silence hung between them until the blonde spoke again. "My roommate seems cool. Her name is Poussey."

Alex chuckled. "Like _pussy_?"

"No," she said. "She's very clear about the French accent."

"I can't wait to meet her," Alex said as she sat on the edge of her bed. She wasn't sure if that was entirely true.

"I have to go to a welcome barbecue on the quad in a few minutes, so I better go."

"Right," Alex responded, flopping down on the bed. "Have fun."

"Thanks. Talk to you soon."

They hung up, and Alex realized that didn't go at all like she'd hoped. Piper sounded monotonous and not at all excited to talk with her. There was an ache in Alex's chest, and she didn't know how long it would remain. There was no sense crying over their current state; after all, Alex was the one who put them precisely in that position.

* * *

Over the next month, Alex and Piper talked on the phone every other day, but they exchanged texts every night before falling asleep. The texts were usually a simple _good night_ , and once the brunette wrote, _I love you_. Piper didn't write it back.

Alex tried to keep her mind off of her young lover by staying busy with her four graduate school classes, and she would soon be even busier with the internship she'd just scored. She couldn't wait to tell Piper the news.

"Guess what?" She began without preamble one late October afternoon.

There was cheering in the background. "What?" Piper asked.

"I got the internship at Peter Lang Publishing!" She couldn't help the excitement in her voice.

"That's awesome, Alex! Congratulations."

"Thanks." She walked into a Columbia University building. "I start on Monday. They're giving me a $5,000 stipend."

"You deserve it," Piper said. Again, Alex heard cheering.

"Where are you?"

"At a field hockey game. We're winning 5 to 1."

"Oh," Alex said. "I was thinking of taking the train to visit you this weekend."

"That would be nice," she replied. "But I'm road tripping to DC with a few friends to protest against police brutality."

"Sounds like fun." Alex smiled dimly, remembering that they were at entirely different points in their lives. She'd been there, done that. Berkeley was one of the most progressive colleges in the country, and she'd gone to 10 or 15 rallies in her time there. She couldn't fault Piper for wanting to use her voice for good causes.

"I'm super happy for you, Alex," Piper said. "I have to go. Let's talk later tonight."

"Ok." She lowered her head and felt a pang in her chest. "Enjoy the game."

Alex sat through her least favorite class: _Topics in Biblical Literature_ , glancing at her phone every few minutes. She didn't expect Piper to text her during the two hour class, but she _hoped_ that she would.

The evening turned into night, and there was no word from Piper. Alex knew this would happen—that's why she tried to break things off with her girlfriend in the first place. She hated waiting around for Piper to contact her, and it bothered her greatly that she couldn't concentrate on anything else.

To make matters worse, Piper informed her that she planned to go to one of her friend's houses on Cape Cod for Thanksgiving. That was _their_ holiday, and it was the last straw for Alex holding out hope that they would have a normal relationship over the next four years.

 _It just couldn't happen_.

* * *

Alex sunk her teeth into her internship and loved working with her boss, Jeff Byers, one of the senior managing editors at Peter Lang Publishing. He was a self-classified nerd, but he loved talking with Alex about rewriting textbooks for the modern day student and was fairly confident that there would be a job opening for her after she completed her Master's degree.

On Thanksgiving morning, Alex and her mom went grocery shopping just like they'd done the year before. She was in a terrible funk, but her mom did everything she could to shake her from her foul mood.

"Let's get three bottles of wine this year, hon." She held up two bottles of pinot noir and one of chardonnay.

"Sounds good." Alex tried to smile, but she couldn't fool her mom. "But not this one; too much oak." Alex took the bottle of white wine out of her mom's hand and replaced it with a dry Riesling.

"I'm going to bake a sweet potato pie for you, just like Piper did last year."

She let out a feeble laugh. "That was inedible."

Diane strolled the cart down the baking aisle. "Well, it'll be good this year. I promise."

The women drove home with five bags of groceries, and Alex figured they'd have leftovers for days. There was no stopping Diane Vause when it came to Thanksgiving, and Alex couldn't chastise her mom for that—they'd spent many Thanksgiving dinners eating Oscar Meyer turkey sandwiches instead of feasting on a roasted bird and all the trimmings.

"Shit, there's one thing I forgot," Diane said once they put all of the groceries away. "The damn cranberries!"

"I'll run out and get them." Alex picked up the car keys.

"No, I'll go. You stay here and start making the crust. No reason we can't bake the pies tonight." She grabbed the keys out of her daughter's hand. "Be back in a jiffy."

Alex hadn't baked in months, and as she started preparing the ingredients, she remembered why she liked working at the bakery in Berkeley—there was a precision to baking, and you had to pay attention to every last detail in order for the product to come out right.

Feeling nostalgic, she turned on her mom's stereo and played the Ray Charles album that they'd listened to last Thanksgiving. She smiled at the memory of that day and hoped that this would be the only Thanksgiving that she and Piper would spend apart.

She mixed all of the ingredients in a large bowl, and then wrapped the dough in plastic wrap to let it rest when her mom came barreling in. "I'm back!"

"In here," Alex called from the kitchen. "I just finished making the dough and was thinking about opening a bottle of wine. Want some?"

"Wine sounds nice," came a voice that was certainly not her mom's.

Alex spun around to see her girlfriend leaning against the wooden beam connecting the living room and kitchen. "Piper?"

The blonde smirked. "Hey, babe."

Alex rushed over, throwing her arms around her thin frame. She felt Piper's arms encircle her in a tight embrace.

Alex pulled back. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

"Did you really think I'd miss Thanksgiving with you?" Piper smiled and brushed Alex's hair over her shoulder. "A year ago today was when I realized I was falling in love with you."

Alex blushed. "Me, too, but I thought…"

The blonde didn't allow her to finish. She crashed her lips against her girlfriend's, tongue begging for entrance.

Diane cleared her throat. "Maybe I should excuse myself."

Piper placed two chaste kisses on the side of her girlfriend's mouth, and then pulled away and wrapped an arm around Alex's waist. "Nonsense! We have four days together; we can makeout later."

Alex flushed, and Diane good-humoredly slapped Piper's arm.

"How did this little plan come about?" The brunette asked, grabbing her girlfriend's hand and tugging her to the sofa.

"Piper called me a week ago and asked if I could pick her up at the train station," Diane said. "She wanted it to be a surprise."

"Clearly, I'm surprised." She kissed Piper on the temple and wrapped an arm over her shoulders. "So you were never going to the Cape for Thanksgiving?"

Piper snuggled closer. "Some of my friends are, but no, I wasn't going to miss this holiday with you."

Diane excused herself to get things ready for tomorrow's dinner, leaving the two younger women alone.

Alex wasted no time kissing Piper again, this time with more finesse. "You taste good."

"So do you." She removed a hair out of Alex's mouth. "I missed you so much, Alex."

"Probably not as much as I missed you," she admitted, holding her tightly.

Piper looked into her eyes. "I wouldn't be so sure about that."

"Maybe we could slip into my room," Alex whispered before capturing Piper's lips once again, tugging her bottom lip gently with her teeth.

The blonde returned the kiss with gusto. "That would be kind of embarrassing. Your mom would know exactly what we were doing."

Alex smiled against her lips. "She was young once, too, you know."

Piper grinned. "I'm thinking some naughty thoughts right now."

"Yeah?" Alex pulled her to her feet and kissed her again. "Wanna show me?"

They stood in the center of the living room, kissing and letting their hands wander over each other's body.

Diane walked in and quickly averted her eyes. "I'm gonna take a ride to Betsy's house. Help her with some pre-Thanksgiving stuff."

"Sounds great," Alex said, not taking her hungry eyes off the woman in front of her.

"I'll call before I come back."

"Uh huh," her daughter replied, tilting her neck to the side as Piper placed little kisses along the column of her neck.

"In their own little world," Diane mumbled on her way out the door.

Alex lifted Piper's sweater and threw it aside, removing her own shirt seconds later. Her hands covered Piper's breasts and her lips traveled across her cheek, down her neck and onto her chest. Piper made quick work on Alex's bra and leaned closer to take one of her nipples into her mouth.

Alex moaned. "I want you so badly right now."

Piper unzipped her lover's jeans, still concentrating on making Alex's nipples into firm peaks with her mouth. "Off."

The brunette stepped out of her jeans, and then shoved Piper's pants down her legs, never once removing her hands from her former student's body. "You feel good, so smooth."

It was Piper's turn to whimper as Alex dropped to her knees and ripped off Piper's thong. She spread her legs open and licked her center.

Piper's knees gave out and she almost fell. "Fuck! I need to sit down."

"I have a place you can sit," she replied with a cocky smirk.

"Do you?" Piper jutted her hips forward, and Alex noticed that she had recently waxed.

Alex sat on the rug and rested her back against the lower part of the sofa. She beckoned Piper over with her finger. "Come here."

Piper walked over to her lover, lowering her knees to the sofa and placing her pussy directly above Alex's mouth. The brunette couldn't even wait for Piper to lower herself completely; she extended her neck and stuck out her tongue to taste her.

The blonde cried out her name and placed one hand on the back of Alex's head, showing her exactly where she wanted her mouth. "Right there, Alex. Yeah…"

Alex licked her lover with pure delight, feeling her own juices flowing from her center at what she was doing to Piper, paying no mind to the large window above the sofa with the curtains pulled open. She placed one hand on Piper's toned thigh, and the other traced a pattern on her vaginal lips, relishing in the silkiness of her young skin. She watched Piper come undone, yelling her name and praising God as an orgasm tore through her.

When she was done, Piper slithered down Alex's body, leaving a wet trail down her chest and stomach. She kissed Alex with an open mouth, and the brunette smiled into the kiss.

"That was nice," Alex commented.

"It was," she said between kisses. "Your turn."

Piper kept moving down her lover's body, removing her underwear along the way. She spread her lover's legs open and crawled between them, taking in a big whiff of Alex. Before diving in with her tongue, she looked up at her. Alex's eyes were hooded with desire, and she couldn't wait any longer. She thrust her hips off the floor to meet Piper's mouth.

"Ungh, Piper." Alex writhed beneath her, savoring the feeling of Piper's tongue squirming inside of her. "I'm going to cum, babe…God, Piper, ungh…Oh, fuck, fuck!"

When her orgasm subsided, Alex pulled her lover up her body and wrapped her in a tight embrace. "So much for making it to my bedroom."

"Beds are overrated," Piper commented while rubbing her fingertips between Alex's breasts.

The brunette let out a contented sigh, and they laid in a sweaty heap until both of their breathing was regulated.

Piper raised an arm across her lover's chest, resting her chin on the back of her hand. "I know that I'm only 18, but I don't want you to insinuate that you know what's best for me just because you're older," she began, looking Alex in the eye. "And most of all, please don't accuse me of not knowing what love is."

The brunette ran her hand down the back of Piper's head as her expression turned solemn.

"I remember reading once that real love isn't so much a feeling as it is a decision, and I made a decision a year ago to love you," Piper explained. "So let me do that, Alex. Let me love you, and if I make mistakes along the way, we'll deal with them together. Just please trust that what I feel for you is very, very real."

"I won't doubt you again." Alex kissed her forehead. "I'm glad you're here, babe."

"I never want to leave," Piper whispered.

"That makes two of us," she sighed.

* * *

Author's Note: Did you really think these two could stay broken up? They're like magnets, I tell ya.


	17. Sequel, Chapter 3

Author's Notes: 1.) There are going to be some minor time jumps in this story so that I can fit it all in, but I hope it's not too jarring for the reader. 2.) The reason this story wasn't showing up on the main page is because I changed the rating to M for Mature. Those stories are apparently hidden, so I changed it back to T for Teen, but I'll be sure to capture the proper rating at the top of each page of a new chapter.

This chapter is rated T.

* * *

The holidays came and went, and Piper was semi-forced to go to the Bahamas with her family for Christmas. She hated almost every moment of it, other than spending time with her brother. He was growing into his own, and unlike when they fought as children, they now appreciated each other if for no other reason than providing companionship when their parents fought or left the kids behind to go to some extravagant dinner.

Unlike the first four months when Piper was at Smith, Alex felt like they were in more of a routine by the time February rolled around. They talked every day and even wrote letters and cards on occasion. Alex still missed Piper more than she ever thought possible, but between grad school and her internship, she kept very busy.

Travel between her mom's house and Manhattan had gotten to a point that was unbearable—Alex was late for work twice due to delays on the train, and she fell asleep one night and missed her stop to get off in Purchase. That cost her another hour of trying to get a train back home at one in the morning.

Alex decided to take out a small loan to pay for a studio apartment in Harlem, six blocks from Columbia and two Subway stops from her internship. It wasn't much—400 square feet on the third floor of an old, 1950s brownstone, but it was _hers_. Rent was $2,000 a month, and Alex knew that was an absurd amount, but she couldn't keep up the commute that she'd done for a year and a half. Besides, she was three months from graduating from her Master's program, and she figured she'd get a job in the city anyway, so living there would make it easier for her to get to and from interviews (if she didn't land a job at Peter Lang Publishing.)

Piper took the train into the city the weekend after Alex moved in to check out her new digs.

"Hey, babe," Alex greeted the blonde with a smack on the lips. "Welcome to my little place. _Little_ being the operative word."

"It's cute," Piper said as she walked inside, not letting go of Alex's hand. "You need some furniture, but the space has potential."

She hadn't bought more than a bed and a small bistro table with two folding chairs. There wasn't even a sofa or an armchair in the space.

"It'll do for now." She swiped Piper's hair aside and kissed her on the neck. "There's a bed."

Piper turned and wrapped her arms around her lover. "Since when do we need a bed?"

"True," Alex admitted, kissing her more properly.

They ended up making love on the floor for the next 30 minutes, both laughing at their position when they were done.

"We were _so_ close," Piper commented, resting her arm on the mattress to her right.

"It's like we don't want to be comfortable," the brunette chuckled, lifting herself up so that she was at eye level with Piper.

"What's that about?" Piper smiled, tracing a finger down Alex's cheek. "Maybe we're both sadists."

"I don't care where we are," Alex commented between kisses. "As long as you're next to me."

"Or inside of you?" The blonde kissed her lover's ear and smirked.

" _Preferably_ inside of me."

They couldn't stop themselves from one more round of sex, this time using more fingers than tongues.

At 9 p.m. Alex heard Piper's stomach growl. "You hungry?"

"I haven't eaten since, like, 11 o'clock this morning."

"You just ate me. Am I not enough?" Alex asked with mock exasperation.

Piper smiled. "I haven't eaten you in an hour, and besides, there's a startling lack of protein in lady juice, so yes, I'm hungry."

Alex returned the smile. "Let's go out. Pizza sound good?"

Piper took Alex's proffered hand and stood. "Pizza sounds great."

The women walked down the street, eating a slice of cheese pizza along the way. It was frigid in the city, but neither woman seemed to mind. Alex took her girlfriend through the Columbia campus and pointed out the two buildings were she had classes this term.

"I remember that building over there," Piper pointed. "That's where you took me to your class when I was a senior."

"Hamilton? Yes." Alex smiled. "You were so wide-eyed and bushy-tailed."

"I was not!" She slapped Alex's arm, and then sobered. "I was falling in love with you."

Alex reached out to kiss her on the side of the head. "I know."

"That's kind of hot." She grabbed her girlfriend's hand as they proceeded down College Walk.

"What?"

"That we were attracted to each other when you were my teacher," Piper confessed.

"It might seem hot now, but it was dangerous." Alex adjusted her glasses with her free hand. "If we would have gotten caught, I could be in jail right now."

"But we hadn't done _anything_ at that point," she responded with a shrug.

"Doesn't matter. Perception is everything, Pipes." She drug Piper around a corner. "I'm glad we didn't get caught, and I'm also glad we waited."

Piper's back hit the brick wall, and she raised her hands to capture Alex's face before reaching out to kiss her. "Me, too."

They ended up walking to the diner that was featured in the TV show, _Seinfeld_ , and had a cup of coffee and a piece of boysenberry pie. They talked about Alex's grad school classes, Piper's undergrad classes, and what the summer might look like for both of them.

"I can't wait to be finished with grad school," Alex said around a bit of pie. "I need to make some decent money."

"Do you think your internship will turn into a job?" Piper asked, sipping coffee.

Alex shrugged. "It might, but I'm not going to rest on my heels. I sent five or six resumes to other publishing houses."

"I'm trying to get an internship this summer," Piper announced.

"Really? You didn't tell me that."

She nodded. "My father has connections at a few communications firms. We'll see."

Alex raised her eyebrows. "In the city?"

"Yeah, but nothing is definite." Piper dropped her fork on the table. "I'm full."

She smiled. "You should be—two slices of pizza and pie a la mode."

She rubbed her belly. "I'll have to go for a run in the morning."

Alex grabbed her hand across the table and arched one eyebrow. "I know of another way to burn calories."

Piper bit her lower lip. "That sounds like much more fun than jogging."

They ended up walking in West Central Park and down Amsterdam Avenue until 4 a.m. There was never a time when they ran out of things to discuss, and time flew in hours rather than minutes.

"The sun is going to rise soon," Alex said as they held hands near 125th Street.

Piper yawned. "We should go back to your apartment."

"Let's watch the sunrise." She pulled Piper towards a Subway stop. "Come on."

"Can't we watch it from here?" Piper complained.

"No, idiot. The sun rises in the East."

Piper rolled her eyes. "Really? That's news to me."

Ignoring her, Alex said, "I know the perfect spot."

They took the Subway to the end of the line, getting off at Lexington Avenue and walking four blocks to the Harlem River. Alex drug Piper to a bench overlooking the river and wrapped her arms around her girlfriend as they watched the sunrise. She was reminded of the time they first held hands as they watched the sunset over the valley at Gateway. It was then when Alex knew that Piper would one day capture her soul.

"I'll never get tired of looking at you," Piper blinked sleepily.

"We're watching the fucking sunrise, and you're looking at _me_?" Alex laughed.

Piper didn't respond; she simply kissed her lover on the cheek, and then rested her head on her shoulder.

* * *

Summer was just around the corner, and Alex was two weeks away from graduating with her Master's in English Literature. She went on two interviews at other publishing houses, but Peter Lang Publishing offered her a full time gig with the promise of allowing her to contribute to the newest edition of a high school English textbook within the next year if things worked out.

Two days before Alex's graduation, Piper called on her last day of classes at Smith.

"What do you think about living together this summer?"

"I like the idea of that, Pipes, but the practicality might need some finesse," Alex replied. "I live in a studio, remember?"

"I got an internship in the city," Piper announced with glee.

"That's great, babe! Where?"

"It wasn't through one of my dad's leads, actually," the blonde began. "Poussey's aunt was looking for an intern in the Barnard College publications office. I turned in my resume, had a phone interview, and found out today that I got it! It's unpaid, but I don't really need the income."

"Good job, Pipes! You realize that Barnard is right across the street from Columbia."

"Yeah, but you're done with school now," she said with a hint of sadness.

"I live six blocks away," Alex replied. "So yeah, you can stay with me this summer. It'll just be tight quarters."

"I can't wait." She could hear Piper's smile through the phone. "And I'll see you in two days."

"Two days."

"Can you believe this kid?" Diane bumped her shoulder against Piper's at the Columbia graduation ceremony.

"Actually, I can," the blonde replied with a toothy grin. "Alex is the smartest person I know."

"Me, too," Diane beamed.

After the ceremony, the women went to dinner at a steakhouse on the Upper West Side. Alex insisted upon paying for the meal, since she was now making $40,000 a year. Granted, her job hadn't started yet, but she was proud to put the tab on her credit card.

"So, hon, tell me about your first year at Smith," Diane asked around a bite of beef Wellington.

"It was good," the blonde responded, not looking up from her plate. "I missed this one way too much." She nodded her head towards Alex.

Alex rolled her eyes. "A year is already under your belt; we only have three more to go."

"That's a long time," Piper said, swirling her creamed spinach around.

"Not if you consider a lifetime together," Diane commented.

Alex put her hand on her lover's thigh under the table and squeezed hard when she heard her mother's comment. She and Piper hadn't talked about the future in that way. She wanted to think that their relationship would stand the test of time, but words weren't spoken about anything past that summer.

"Shit, did I cross a line?" Diane dabbed the corners of her mouth with a napkin. "Two martinis and my mouth is like a fucking motor boat!"

Piper put her hand on Diane's forearm. "It's ok, and you're right."

Diane grinned like a proud peacock.

"Actually," the blonde began. "This is probably a good time to bring up something I've been meaning to tell you." She looked at Alex, who set down her glass of wine. "I'm considering transferring next fall."

Alex couldn't hide her shock. "What?"

"I applied to Barnard, Columbia, NYU, and Fordham," she explained, still looking at Alex. "I don't want to be so far away from you."

"Piper, this is your education we're talking about." Alex removed her hand from her girlfriend's leg. "You can't just pick up and move."

"I'm not _picking up and moving_ ," she said. "I'm considering a transfer to one of several top-notch colleges. I thought you'd be happy about that."

Diane watched the women with what appeared to be eager anticipation.

"Nothing would make me happier than having you in the city," Alex stated. "But I don't want you to leave a phenomenal school just to be closer to me."

"I'd be attending a _different_ phenomenal school," she protested. "Unless you think us living together or at least being near each other is too much."

Alex turned her body fully to Piper and lifted her hand to her lips. "I want to be with you, Piper…I just don't want you to do something that you might regret."

Piper leaned in and let her fingertips skim her girlfriend's cheek. "I won't regret anything that has to do with being with you."

Diane's hands flew her mouth as if she was fully participating in this romantic moment. "I never had a love like this," she paused and looked at her daughter. "And don't tell me not to butt in, kid. I'm your mother, and I want to see you happy. Piper makes you happy, and the two of you together makes _me_ fucking happy. Deal with it!"

Piper laughed, and Alex couldn't contain her giddiness and let out a loud snort. She put her arm around Piper's shoulders and drew her in for a kiss.

Diane lifted her martini and toasted. "To being happy!"

"To being _fucking_ happy," Piper teased as she clinked glasses with her lover and her mom.

"You make me so fucking happy," Alex whispered into her girlfriend's ear.

That earned her a sincere kiss that was probably not fit for public viewing.

It wasn't the first time Diane Vause had to clear her throat, but each time she did so, a smile was plastered on her face.


	18. Sequel, Chapter 4

This chapter is rated M for Mature.

* * *

It had been a year since Piper and Alex had been to the Chapman cottage in the Hamptons, but Piper had insisted that they meet there for the weekend after completing her first year of college. The forecast called for warm temperatures, although there was a tropical storm churning up the eastern seaboard that made Alex a bit nervous.

"Piper?" Alex called from the front stoop. She took in a deep breath of ocean air.

The blonde jogged to the door and draped her arms around her girlfriend.

She kissed her on the lips. "Missed me?"

"Always," Piper replied, deepening the kiss until one of the bags that Alex was carrying fell.

"A little help here." The dark haired woman bent down to retrieve the bag. "There are two more in the car."

Piper shoved one of the bags towards the door with her foot.

The brunette gave her a sad smile. "Last time we were here…"

"Don't say it," Piper interrupted with a finger crossing Alex's lips. "I want this to be a place of _good_ memories, not bad ones."

Alex smiled affectionately. "Except for that little blip, I have _very_ fond memories of this place."

Piper swayed her hips. "Wanna make some more?"

The brunette batted her eyelashes. "What are you suggesting?"

"Sex," Piper replied unnecessarily. "Lots of mind blowing, lesbian sex."

They hadn't done it in the kitchen before that moment, and Alex appreciated the height of the countertop for easy access between her girlfriend's legs. "This is much better for my back. Why didn't I think of this sooner?"

Piper draped her legs over Alex's shoulders. "Yes, it's a nice angle," she panted, reaching for the back of the brunette's head. "Right there, babe."

Her request made Alex speed the motion of her tongue, leaving Piper crying out for more. Piper's orgasm spread through every ounce of her body, and she was a heaping pile of limbs on the kitchen counter next to a bowl of apples and oranges.

Alex stood, tugging Piper's limp body against hers. "Well, that was fun."

"That was a new thing you did with your tongue."

The brunette smirked. "It's called counter-clockwise."

"Oh, is that what it's called?"

Alex nodded. "You should try it some time."

The blonde lifted her eyebrows. "Are you suggesting I need some new moves?"

"If the shoe fits." Alex lifted her shoulders.

"Is that right?" Piper shimmied off the counter and ran her hand down Alex's center. "Let's see what I can come up with." While still kissing her lover, Piper pushed Alex using the full force of her body, not her arms, until they were near the kitchen table. "Lie down."

Alex did as she was told. "Bossy."

She removed her girlfriend's pants, and then her underwear. The motion pulled Alex's ass near the edge of the table, giving Piper easy access to her center. Piper sat down in one of the chairs and pulled up to the table as if she was going to settle in for dinner. She placed her palms on her lover's thighs and dipped her head in for a lick.

"Mmm, Piper," Alex sighed. "That feels good."

The blonde continued licking her lover's center, and then inserted a finger into her opening. "Someone's already wet."

"Sometimes just looking at you makes me wet. It always has," Alex admitted in a thick voice. "Fuck me, babe."

Piper thrusted her fingers into her girlfriend's pussy over and over again, while her tongue and teeth focused on her clit. Alex came in less than five minutes, screaming Piper's name so loud that once she was done, she wondered if the neighbors could hear.

Piper smirked. "Did that 'new move' work for you?"

"Hell, yeah." Alex pulled the blonde's arms until she laid on top of her. "You've gotten really good at that."

"I have an excellent teacher," she said before kissing her firmly on the mouth.

"Let's get cleaned up, and then go walk into town."

"Will you hold my hand in public?" Piper asked timidly.

Alex smiled up at her, scrunching her nose. "Yeah."

* * *

A few of the businesses along Main Street were boarding up windows in anticipation of the tropical storm in the Atlantic Ocean, but that didn't deter the Hamptons crowd from shopping and eating their way through Amagansett.

Alex didn't let go of her girlfriend's hand as they strolled into several shops. Piper bought a new pair of Ray Bans for Alex against the brunette's protestations. She finally gave in when Piper whispered into her ear, "I want to fuck you while you're wearing these."

"We'll take them." Alex eagerly handed the sunglasses to the cashier as Piper smirked beside her.

"Piper is that you?" A girl approached the couple as they departed the sunglass shop.

"Caitlin, hi!" Piper hugged her former Gateway classmate.

"This is my boyfriend, Reid," she introduced the handsome man standing next to her.

"Nice to meet you." Piper shook his hand. "This is…um, you remember Alex?"

The brunette's eyebrows shot up, not knowing exactly how to proceed with her former student. Alex shook Reid's hand, and then turned to Caitlin, who she could see for a split second was trying to process how they knew each other.

"Alex? Alex Vause, oh my God!" Caitlin hugged her. "Wait, this is weird…are you two…?"

Alex looked at Reid. "I was a substitute teacher at their high school for a semester."

"Ah, got it," he replied. "That explains the awkwardness," he offered with a toothy smile.

Alex adjusted her glasses on the bridge of her nose. "Yeah, not the most comfortable I've ever been."

Caitlin looked like she was still trying to comprehend their relationship. "So are you, like, _together_ together?"

"Yeah, um…yes, you could say that," Piper replied, but Alex could see the blush on her cheeks.

"Wow," Caitlin said. "When did this happen?"

"The minute she turned 18," Alex confessed proudly. "I mean look at her, she's gorgeous. Would you wait?"

She watched Piper discernibly relax.

"I would definitely not," Reid said with a hand on his chest.

"And he didn't," Caitlin replied, swatting her boyfriend's arm.

Alex smirked. "Do tell."

"We were just heading over to the ice cream shop. Want to join us?" Reid asked.

Piper looked up at Alex as if she needed permission.

"Sure," the brunette said. "Lead the way."

They each ordered a cup of ice cream and found an empty picnic table with a view of the ocean.

"I never pegged you as gay," Caitlin said, spooning pistachio ice cream into her mouth.

"See, that's the problem with the world," Piper replied, stuffing her spoon into her double fudge ice cream. "It's like we all have to fit into a certain box. That's not how it works; at least not for me."

"Well said." Reid nodded. "Does it matter if she's gay?"

"No!" Caitlin quickly recovered. "I didn't mean it that way…sorry." She took a breath. "This is just _surprising_ to me is all. No judgement."

Alex had always liked Caitlin and actually felt bad for her. "Don't worry about it. This would be hard for most people to understand."

The younger woman looked relieved. "Yeah, I guess so."

"How did the two of you meet?" Piper asked, changing the subject.

"Similar awkward situation," Reid said after looking at his girlfriend before proceeding. "I clerked for her father the summer Caitlin graduated from high school. It was my second year of law school, and we met at the company picnic."

"How old are you?" Piper asked.

Reid smiled. "I turned 27 last week."

"He's older than me," Alex commented around a mouthful of berries and yogurt.

"Whoa, that's kind of weird," Caitlin replied, regarding Alex.

"Anyway, Caitlin and I hooked up about two months into my clerkship," Reid continued. "I could've been fired."

Alex huffed. "Join the club."

"At least you waited," Piper said, putting an arm around her girlfriend's waist. "If it were up to me, we wouldn't have."

"You're smart," he chuckled. "I was in law school, and knew all about the consequences, but we didn't wait."

"True." Caitlin blushed. "But to be fair, I have a December birthday. At least we held out until Thanksgiving."

Piper and Alex exchanged glances.

"Thanksgiving is the new Valentine's Day," Alex commented with a knowing smile.

"Well, we should get going." Caitlin stood. "Reid wants to leave before the storm."

"It was nice meeting you," Alex said, shaking the man's hand. "And, Caitlin, it was great seeing you again."

Piper exchanged hugs with her former classmate and they walked in opposite directions.

"That went better than expected," Alex commented, grabbing her girlfriend's hand.

She smiled. "It did."

"Hey, are you worried about the storm heading this way?"

Piper shrugged. "Not really, but maybe we should watch the weather when we get back home."

When they returned to the cottage, Alex made it to the television, but Piper's lips were on her before she turned the damn thing on. They made love on the living room floor, and Piper insisted that her girlfriend wear her new Ray Bans while she went down on her.

* * *

Author's Note: Someone asked if the story is complete, why do I only post a chapter or two per day? The reason is simple: it usually takes me _months_ to complete a story, and selfishly, I want to be rewarded for that effort. Feedback is my reward, and if I posted the whole thing in one sitting, I would definitely not get as much. Usually my double-post days has to do with the amount of feedback I get—think of it as encouragement.


	19. Sequel, Chapter 5

This chapter is rated M for Mature

* * *

The wind had picked up considerably since their afternoon walk, and all of the reporters on television were expecting the tropical storm to hit the Hamptons by early morning. The police were closing roads left and right, but Piper had convinced Alex that they should ride out the storm. Just to be sure, Alex made Piper check in with the neighbors, all of whom were remaining in Amagansett.

At 2 a.m. Alex awoke to the sound of something falling on the roof. "Piper? Piper, wake up."

"Hmm?" She snuggled against Alex's side, not opening her eyes.

Alex jumped out of bed and looked through the French doors leading to the balcony. "Holy shit!" She opened the door and a gust of wind blew inside.

"What the hell?" Piper brushed her hair out of her face as the wind reached the bed.

"Turn on the news," Alex demanded, shutting the door.

Piper flipped on the old television and adjusted the antennae. (It was the oldest thing in the cottage.)

"We're already feeling the effects of Tropical Storm Elijah on the coast," the reporter said from her position on the beach. "The seas are swelling to 12 to 14 feet, and it's only going to get worse over the next three to four hours."

Piper crawled to the edge of the bed and tugged on Alex's t-shirt. Alex backed up and reached for her girlfriend, not taking her eyes off of the TV.

"Margaret, we're already hearing about 15,000 people on Long Island are without power. Any idea if that number will grow?" The news anchor's expression was severe.

As if on cue, the lights flickered.

"I need you to find some flashlights." Alex stood and put on a pair of shorts. "I'm going to light candles."

Piper got out of bed and rooted through her parents' closet. "I found two flashlights. We just need batteries."

"I'll go look downstairs." She hurried down the steps as the lights flickered again. "Fuck." She looked in the pantry and in several cabinets but couldn't locate batteries. She found a lighter and several decorative candles around the living room, so she lit them and went on the hunt for supplies in the attached garage.

"I think my dad keeps emergency stuff in the shed. I'll be right back," Piper said from inside the house.

Alex couldn't hear what she'd said other than 'emergency' and 'shed.' She hunted around the garage for anything that looked like it could help them in their current predicament, and when she dug into the second box, the lights completely went out. "Piper?"

No answer.

"Piper? It's really dark in here." She felt her way against the wall and found the door leading back inside. She opened it and was relieved to see the flickering candles. "Any luck?"

No answer.

"Piper, where'd you go?" She asked anxiously.

Alex looked around the vast living room and kitchen, and when she didn't see her girlfriend, she glanced outside. Piper was coming out of a shed in the corner of the yard with a box in her arms.

She opened the patio door. "It's really windy out there. Come back inside!"

A gust of wind blew a piece of metal siding off the shed, slicing past Piper.

"Ow!" Piper dropped the box and grabbed her arm.

"What the fuck?" Alex ran outside and watched her girlfriend crumble to the ground. "What happened? Did you hurt yourself?"

"My arm," she complained.

The wind howled, blowing Alex's hair into her face. "Let me see." She twisted her girlfriend's arm and saw blood coming from her bicep. "You're cut."

She helped the younger woman up with one arm and picked up the box with the other. They walked against the wind and back into the home, having to duck from a large branch that fell from the sky.

"Sit down," Alex demanded, brushing the hair out of her face first, and then Piper's.

"It hurts." She looked down at her arm. "Alex, I'm bleeding!"

"You cut yourself." The brunette wet a rag in the kitchen sink and applied pressure to the wound. "I can't tell how deep it is."

Lightening flashed and seconds later, thunder shook the house.

"We should've left earlier today," Alex said under her breath.

"Now is not the time for, _I told you so_."

Alex wiped the blood away and looked more closely at the cut. "You might need stitches."

"We can't very well get to a hospital right now, can we?" She snapped.

"You shouldn't have gone outside in the middle of a fucking storm," she tossed back. "That was a stupid move!"

Alex waited for a comeback, but instead, she felt Piper's hand on her cheek and it looked like Piper was doing everything in her power to fight back tears. "I'm scared, Alex," she whispered in a shaky voice.

"I know." Alex hugged her. "I know, kid. I'm sorry." She kissed the top of her head. "I'm going to find some bandages. Just keep putting pressure on it."

Alex took a candle with her to the bathroom on the main level and shut the door almost all the way. She put the candle on the back of the toilet and her hands on the edge of the counter, hanging her head. She was on the brink of tears, but two deep breaths and a reminder to herself that she needed to stay calm for Piper's sake, allowed her to keep her tears at bay.

"Alex?" Piper called in the distance.

She jerked her head up. "Be right there." She rooted around the medicine cabinet and found ointment and a first aid kit, complete with bandages. Alex walked back to the living room as she rifled through the box. "Looks like you're in luck."

"What, is there a suture kit in there?" Piper sniffed.

"No, and you wouldn't want me giving you stitches." She held up a butterfly bandage. "I remember cutting myself on a barbed wire fence when I was young, and my mom had to use one of these to hold the skin together." She removed the rag and noticed that the bleeding had subsided, so she rubbed ointment in the cut. "We didn't have health insurance, so going to the hospital for stitches was out of the question." She lifted the back of the bandage and placed the butterfly strip over her girlfriend's cut, carefully squeezing the skin together.

"Do you have a scar?" Piper wiped her snotty nose with the sleeve of Alex's shirt.

The brunette looked at the wet marks on her sleeve and smiled. "Gross!"

"Sorry," she replied with no real sincerity.

"There's a scar on my ankle, towards my heel."

"I've never noticed it." Piper checked out her girlfriend's handiwork.

"You clearly haven't spent enough time looking at my lower leg," Alex teased, happy to redirect the conversation from her girlfriend's injury to something benign.

"True," Piper admitted. "There's just too many other places on your body where I'd rather focus my attention." She reached out to cup Alex's face. "Like your lips."

The brunette leaned in for a chaste kiss. "Feel better?"

She nodded. "Thank you."

"No more venturing outside or anywhere where I can't see you, ok?"

Another bolt of lightning was followed by booming thunder. It was still pitch black outside, so they couldn't see much except when the lightening lit up the backyard.

"Will you look in that larger box to see if there are any supplies we can use?" Piper asked, still perched on the kitchen stool.

Alex dug inside and found a big, orange flashlight and a pack of batteries. "Look!" She shoved two AA batteries into each flashlight and shined it in Piper's face.

"Alex!" she complained, whacking the flashlight away.

"We should probably get away from the windows in case a branch or something breaks the glass," the brunette said, holding out her hand to help Piper down from the stool. "What room has the fewest windows?"

"Besides the bathroom? Probably my old room."

"Let's go in there until the severe weather passes."

* * *

The women had fallen asleep in Piper's childhood bed, and when they woke up, the rain and wind had subsided. Alex kissed Piper on the cheek before getting out of bed and looking out of the high, singular window. Branches were strewn about the yard, and the shed sustained some wind damage. The pool was filled with all sorts of debris, and the lawn chairs had blown off the deck.

Alex reached for the light switch, but the power was still out.

"Did the storm pass?" Piper asked groggily from the bed. "Ow."

"Looks like it," the brunette replied. "How's your arm?"

"It's sore." She looked at the bandage.

Alex held her arm and looked closely at the wound, but she had successfully covered the deepest part with the butterfly bandage. "I'm not going to remove this thing, but I think we should get you to a doctor or a hospital to make sure it's not infected."

"Our neighbors are doctors," Piper announced. "Maybe we could walk over there in a little while."

Alex kissed her lover on the mouth. "Ok."

* * *

Alex convinced Piper to go to their neighbor's cottage alone for fear of her parents finding out that she was in Amagansett with her lover, a fact that the Chapman's did not and could not know.

Piper reluctantly knocked on the door and was greeted by Dr. Levine. She later told Alex that the doctor applauded the application of the butterfly bandage and sent her home with strict instructions on how to clean the wound. She even gave the blonde three more bandages that would suit her cut well.

Although the sun came out around noon, it was still very breezy and the lawn looked like a tornado had come through.

"Should we start cleaning up the yard?" Alex asked as she towel dried her hair after a shower.

"No, the lawn service can do that after we leave," Piper replied, putting on her black bikini.

Alex eyed her lover. "Where are _you_ going?"

"The beach," Piper announced, pulling on a pair of linen drawstring pants. "The pool is filthy, we don't have electricity, and I'm ready for a tan."

The brunette chuckled. "Were you going to ask if I wanted to go?"

"I just assumed you would." Piper tied the drawstring a few inches below her navel.

"Have you not seen my alabaster skin?" Alex opened her robe, exposing her naked self to her girlfriend. "I have a serious aversion to laying out for the sake of getting a tan."

Piper's eyes hooded over as she stepped closer to Alex.

"Don't give me that look," Alex pleaded with a smirk in place.

"What look?" She reached out to touch her lover's breast.

"That's your _sex_ look."

"I don't have a sex look," Piper replied innocently. "It's just my face."

"Bullshit!" Alex couldn't help stepping into Piper's personal space. "Your eyelids get heavy and your mouth falls open just a bit. It's _totally_ your sex look."

"I don't believe I have a look," the blonde said, eyes still hooded, as she raised her other hand to Alex's bare waist. "But I do want to fuck you…so there's that."

Alex let out a low moan, and then picked up Piper's left hand, kissing her knuckles. "By all means, don't let me stop you."

If Piper hadn't made the first move, Alex surely would have, what with the way her girlfriend looked in the bikini top and loose-fitting linen pants. Her toned stomach alone was enough to drive Alex mad; she figured she could spend hours just touching and kissing her lover there.

Piper dropped to her knees and spread her lover's center. She dove right in, licking and nipping at the pink skin.

"Fuck, Piper," she breathed, placing one hand on the back of the blonde's head.

It wasn't just the sensation of Piper's tongue in her center that pushed her over the edge, it was watching her head bob up and down, clearly enjoying every second of eating her girlfriend out.

"I'm cuming, babe!" Alex shouted. "Oh, fuck, Piper…Piper, unghfuck…ah!" She flopped onto the bed, weak knees finally giving out.

Piper glanced up at her girlfriend with a cocky grin on her glistening mouth. "I love when you say my name in the throes of passion."

She smiled. "You have a good name to shout."

The blonde wiped her mouth on the towel that Alex had dried her hair with, and then climbed onto the bed, next to her lover. "I wonder if sex will ever get boring for us, or if we won't do it as often as we do now?"

Alex tucked her arm around her girlfriend and leaned down to place a kiss on her nose. "I hope not."

"Me, too." She sat up. "Ready to go to the beach?"

"Ugh," Alex complained. "I need 30 minutes."

"Suit yourself." She hopped off of the bed. "I'm going to pack a bag of snacks and drinks. We'll stop at one of the shops and get you some 500 proof sunscreen."

Alex threw the towel at her. "You're not funny!"

Piper smiled and jogged downstairs.

* * *

Against her will, Alex allowed Piper to drag her to the beach. There was a row of white-washed Adirondack chairs for rent, and Piper handed the attendant some cash to reserve two of them, along with an oversized beach umbrella.

"This is for you." Piper glanced at Alex, and then at the muscular teen, who was busy shoving the base of the umbrella into the sand. "He's hot," she mouthed.

Alex lifted an eyebrow. She could appreciate a man's body; she just didn't want a penis anywhere near her. She and Piper had had a conversation a few months ago about sexuality, and Piper admitted that she was attracted to women and men alike. This didn't bother the brunette at all—she appreciated her lover's honesty and was not the jealous type. Piper had reassured Alex that night (even though she didn't need to) that she only had eyes for her and didn't see that changing, _ever_.

Once their station was set up, Piper took off her sweater cover up (that didn't really cover much up at all) and her linen pants, and then applied sunscreen to her chest, arms and stomach. "Will you do my back?"

Alex squeezed some lotion onto her hands and rubbed her girlfriend's shoulders, relishing in the way her skin felt under her palms. "All done. Will you do me?"

Piper wiggled her eyebrows. "I already did you this morning, babe."

Alex smiled and waved a hand dismissively at her lover. She hadn't worn a bikini in years—since her junior year at Berkeley when she went to Santa Cruz with some friends. Fortunately, her green one still fit perfectly.

As Piper applied sunscreen to her girlfriend's shoulders, she leaned in and whispered. "Your boobs look hot in that top."

Alex noticed that Piper's obsession with her ass and her breasts was unending. Foreplay for her always began and ended by touching one or the other.

"Thank you," she replied, moving Piper's hands onto her sides after they'd slowly crept to her breasts. She had to repeat the action three times. "You're awfully handsy today."

"Not being able to touch your tits right now is damn near killing me," the blonde said in a hushed, sexual tone.

"Well, unless you pull an invisible shield out of your bag that appears to have everything else under the sun in it, you're going to have to wait for that."

Piper stepped in front of her lover. "You're no fun."

The brunette huffed and put on her wide-brimmed hat and Ray Bans. She sat in the Adirondack chair and pulled out a book from her bag. "I intend to read in the shade. You go do…whatever perky, young blondes do."

"Swimming. I'm going swimming." Piper kissed Alex on the side of the mouth and then pranced off towards the water.

Alex admired the way Piper's bikini bottom rode up on her tight, little ass, exposing a tan line where her thigh met the curve of her butt. She involuntarily licked her lips, wondering for a brief moment if she should chase after Piper and take her right there in the middle of the semi-private beach with 20 other people around.

Although she'd explored every inch of her former student's body over the past year, Alex still wanted more. She wanted to know every beauty mark, every scar, every curve so intimately that she could find them with her eyes shut.

She chuckled at herself, and then dove into a Murakami novel to try to take her mind off of sex.

Alex must have fallen asleep for a moment, because she was startled to wake up to a dripping wet Piper hovering over her. "Fuck, that's cold!"

Piper was soaking wet, both hands on either side of the arms of the Adirondack chair, leaning close to her girlfriend's face, water dripping onto Alex's chest and lap. Her hair was slicked back, curling at the ends. "The water is refreshing. Want to go for a dip?"

She couldn't resist—Alex grabbed her lover's head and kissed her with an open mouth and dancing tongue. "You are so fucking hot right now."

Piper pulled back and smirked. "There are some sand dunes over there…"

 _Fuck it_.

Keeping her Ray Bans on, Alex threw her novel down, took off her hat and followed the blonde 30 feet away from their position on the beach, behind two rows of sand dunes that were covered with sea oats. She all but shoved Piper onto the ground, her tanned skin a stunning contrast against the white sand.

"Lay back," Alex demanded.

"Look who's bossy now."

She watched water droplets gather near her lover's belly button, and then scooted between Piper's legs, starting out with her tongue on Piper's stomach. "Salty."

"It's the ocean," Piper commented mockingly.

"I'm not sure there has ever been a time when I've wanted to fuck you this badly," Alex admitted, tugging at the blonde's bikini bottom. She didn't remove the fabric all the way; rather, pulled it down just far enough so that her mouth had access to her center. She licked her pussy, and Piper's hips bucked up.

" _Alex_ ," the blonde moaned.

The brunette used her fingers dexterously, holding the bikini bottoms in place with four fingers, and opening her lover's center with the others. She licked the inside of her lips generously, nipping at her clit when she reached the top.

"You're going to make me cum!" Piper looked up at her lover. "Those sunglasses…I can't…oh, Alex, God, ungh, ungh, ungh!"

"Shhh, shhh, shh!" Alex demanded between licks. "You have to be quiet, babe."

"It's still going," Piper moaned, not adhering to Alex's request. "Oh, God, Alex!"

After she finished cuming, Piper threw one arm over her head and reached for her girlfriend with the other. She was still panting. "That was insane."

Alex put her bikini back in place and wiped her mouth on the black fabric. She crawled up her lover's body. "I can't believe we just did it on the beach!"

"I can," Piper said, eyes shut. "You wanted me since you saw me in a bikini."

Alex rolled her eyes. "That's not an egotistical thing to say at all."

"It's true, and you know it." She hugged Alex closer.

"Yeah, it _is_ true." She ran her fingertips up and down her girlfriend's stomach. "You're fucking gorgeous."

Piper turned to kiss her. "So are you." She brushed a long strand of black hair out of her face, and then leaned in for a more proper kiss. "Especially with those Aviators on. In fact, I might be up for round two right now."

"What the hell?" A lifeguard stepped back. "Uh, sorry…I heard someone yelling."

Piper acted as cool as possible. "It's ok. We're finished here."

"Yeah, ok…sorry." He walked away.

Alex slapped her tummy and giggled. "We need to get out of here."

They giggled on their way back to the Adirondack chairs, picked up their belongings and headed back to the cottage for what Alex assumed would be another round of sex.

* * *

Author's Note: If you haven't seen the Net-A-Porter photo shoot and video of Taylor Schilling, run to the internet. On the video at the two minute mark is what I pictured in my head when writing the Piper in a bikini in an Adirondack chair scene. Holy hotness.


	20. Sequel, Chapter 6

This chapter is rated T for Teen.

* * *

Piper had to move out of the dorm by the end of June no matter if she was returning to Smith in the fall or not. She'd asked Alex to help her move and suggested that they borrow one of her parents' cars.

It would be the first time that Alex would meet the Chapmans, and Piper had warned her that she wasn't optimistic about their meeting, but the brunette insisted upon _at least_ saying hello. She knew enough about the Chapmans from her girlfriend's stories to not expect a warm welcome.

They rode the train into Connecticut on a Saturday, both buried in the books they were reading—Piper for pleasure, Alex for work. From the train depot, they caught the bus for the brief 10 minute ride to Piper's home. When they arrived at the Chapman household, Piper told Alex to take a deep breath, and they'd be out of there in 15 minutes.

"Mom? Dad?" She called upon entering the home.

Her mom sauntered into the foyer, looking like she'd stepped right out of a Talbot's catalogue. "Your father's at work."

"Mom, this is Alex."

Alex reached out her hand. "It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Chapman."

Carol put her hands on her hips. "So you're the woman who turned my daughter into a lesbian?"

The brunette retracted her hand and scratched her head, looking away.

"She didn't _turn_ me into anything," Piper said with embarrassment.

"Piper will never have babies, and I won't be a grandmother if she stays with you," Carol spat.

"That's not true." Alex shrugged, and then offered, "The kind of sex we have, you know, _lesbian_ sex, might not produce babies, but we could get artificially inseminated and make you a grandmother pretty easily."

Piper closed her eyes and sucked in her lips.

"That's disgusting!" Carol turned and walked away.

"No, it's not," Alex called. "What's disgusting is not loving Piper no matter what her sexual orientation is." She walked into the other room and stood in front of Carol again. "Your daughter is the most intelligent, thoughtful, inspiring woman I've ever met. I can't even _begin_ to explain how much joy you're missing by not having Piper in your life!"

The blonde stood in the entryway with her mouth ajar.

Alex whipped around and grabbed her hand. "Come on, babe. We'll rent a fucking car; you don't need anything these people have to offer."

The brunette tugged her lover out of the front door; Piper clearly too stunned to speak.

They walked in silence to the bus stop, and Alex punched a few things into her cell phone to see when the next bus would arrive.

Once inside, Piper finally spoke. "I can't believe that just happened."

"You warned me," Alex confessed. "I just thought…I don't know, I thought it would go better than that."

"My mother is a horrible person," the blonde admitted, staring straight ahead.

"Don't say that, Piper." Alex took a deep breath and rubbed the back of her girlfriend's head. "She's got a fucked up view of the world, and she doesn't treat you with the affection of a mother, but she still gave you life and pays for your education."

"My father pays for my education," she replied dryly.

"Still," Alex tried. She tugged Piper closer. "Just because your mom disrespected you doesn't mean you have to follow suit. Forget about her for now. Let's rent a car, get your shit, and I'll take you back to my apartment— _our_ apartment."

Piper nodded and turned her attention to her girlfriend. "Thank you."

The brunette smiled softly.

* * *

Piper ended up charging the Ford SUV that they rented to her father's corporate account at Enterprise, feeling like she was _sticking it to him_. Truth be told, he probably wouldn't even recognize the charge since he traveled so much.

They arrived at Smith three hours later, and Poussey was in their room, packing up her own belongings.

"Poussey, this is Alex," she introduced.

The black woman smiled. "Alex Vause, I feel like I know you."

"I have to go get the boxes that Becky saved for me," Piper announced. "Be right back."

"It's nice to finally meet you," Alex said to Poussey, shaking her hand.

"Piper talked about you all the time." She folded a shirt, putting it into her box.

"I hope not annoyingly so." The brunette lifted her glasses on top of her head.

"Nah, man. Your girl is crazy in love with you," she offered.

Alex ducked her head and smiled softly.

Poussey looked at the other woman with a serious expression. "I don't know if Piper is coming back to Smith or not, but you take real good care of her, hear?"

Alex nodded. "I will."

They made quick work on the small dorm room, finishing all of the packing in under two hours.

On the car ride back, Piper seemed distant.

"What's wrong?" Alex asked from the driver's seat.

"I'm upset." Piper shrugged, eyes still trained on the trees they were passing on the right. "I don't want my parents to have any control over me, and they do right now because of money."

"In three years, you'll be done with college, and you'll get a job," Alex tried. "You'll be able to afford stuff on your own."

"I don't want them paying for anything for me anymore."

Alex put her hand on the younger woman's thigh. "You have to let them contribute to your education. That's important, Piper."

The blonde turned to face her girlfriend. "I wish we were married, then we'd be obligated to share resources."

"We don't have to be married to share resources." Alex removed her hand, placing it back on the steering wheel. "Anything I have is yours, and that's not out of some _obligation_."

"But marriage makes it official," Piper stated, looking once again out of the side window.

She glanced at her companion. "That might be in the cards for us down the line, but right now, you need to concentrate on earning your degree, and I need to concentrate on being effective at my job."

The blonde whipped her head around. "What do you mean, it ' _might'_ be in the cards for us?"

"I'm saying that we don't know what the future holds," Alex shrugged, eyes still trained on the road. "There are other things…other priorities for each of us right now."

Piper looked at her with melancholy eyes. "Do you _want_ to marry me?"

"Eventually, yes." She glanced at her lover as best she could while driving 70 miles per hour. "Nothing would make me happier."

That caused the blonde to smile faintly.

They continued driving until they reached New York. Piper had dozed off twice, but Alex loved to watch her girlfriend sleep. After unloading all four boxes and two suitcases, Piper brought the car back to Enterprise, and then took the Subway to _their_ apartment.

Alex would be lying to herself if she said that marriage hadn't been in the recesses of her mind. She'd never allowed the thought to cross her lips, because it was an idea that had no business in the present. She knew that if marriage was an option for them, it would be in the far distant future. What surprised her was Piper's desire to wed at such a young age—not that her lover had insinuated that they should be married there and then, but that she'd consider committing to her girlfriend for a lifetime when she had only finished her first year of college.

* * *

After living together for a month, the women settled into a routine. Alex was pleasantly surprised at the way they cohabitated—at first, she thought that the tight quarters would lead to territorial issues and quarrels—but she was glad to see that they could both sense when the other was in a mood. Piper had an excellent read on Alex, and she knew when to get closer and when to draw back. The brunette was grateful for her intuition and could picture the two of them living together for a long time.

Piper had been accepted at Barnard, NYU and Fordham, and the women celebrated her college acceptances by attempting to cook at home in their miniscule kitchen. A stove with only two burners and a counter that was stacked with books, mail and other paraphernalia proved the task impossible, so they settled for ordering Thai food and playing cards well into the night.

Since she'd begun the internship in the Barnard College Advancement Office, Piper chose to enroll at the all-women's college in the fall. Besides, she could walk to campus in less than 15 minutes or take a quick Subway ride if the weather was foul. She'd already made a few friends at her internship that she was sure would carry over into the academic year.

Alex initially thought when they moved in together that they'd hardly leave the house in favor of having sex 24/7. That proved true for the first week, but then they slipped into a more normal and acceptable sexual routine, making love every two or three days. To be fair, nothing was _routine_ about their sexual encounters—every time was different. Sometimes it was straight up _fucking_ , while other times, tears fell as they made sweet, tender love. Alex's favorite, though, was when they made love and talked during the act. She'd fallen in love with Piper's verbal dexterity when they'd first met, and to hear her voice during sex, no matter if she was talking about a class, a novel, or what she planned to do to her lover in bed, it always drove her over the edge _every fucking time_.


	21. Sequel, Chapter 7

This chapter is rated M for Mature.

* * *

Six months flew by in the blink of an eye—both women were insanely busy with school and work, but they cherished Sundays when they promised each other their undivided attention. Sunday evenings were often cut short as they prepared for the week ahead, but they basked in the glory of _togetherness_ in the morning and into the afternoon.

Alex's phone rang on a very early December morning when both women had just gotten out of bed and brushed their teeth. The brunette could tell that sex was on her girlfriend's mind just by looking at her hooded eyes.

"I have to answer this; it's my mom." Alex lightheartedly pushed Piper away. "Hey, mom. Happy Sunday."

"Hiya, kid." Diane's voice wasn't as joyful as it usually was.

"I'm going to put you on speaker."

"Hi, Diane!" Piper found her way onto Alex's lap. "I miss you."

"I miss you, too, hon," she replied. "But I'm afraid I'm calling with some bad news."

The women exchanged worried glances.

"Mrs. Rankin died," she announced with a sniffle.

Piper's hand covered her mouth, and Alex closed her eyes, grimacing at the news. They sat in silence for a moment.

The blonde's eyes became glassy. "I thought she was in remission?"

"She was for a year and a half," Diane replied. "Fucking cancer won this time."

"That's terrible news." Alex hugged her lover tightly and placed a kiss on her temple. "When are the services?"

"They're putting something together at the school next weekend. I'll fill you in on the details as soon as I know more."

"We'll be there." Alex watched tears roll down her girlfriend's face and did her best to swipe them away with the pad of her thumb.

"Sounds good. You kids be good out there," Diane said before hanging up.

The brunette enveloped her lover in a more proper hug. Piper turned around, straddling Alex and cried on her shoulder. "This wasn't supposed to happen."

Alex rubbed her back. "Cancer is a fucking beast. It's not fair."

They sat like that for almost an hour, holding and comforting each other until one of them finally let go.

* * *

The following Saturday in late December, Alex and Piper took the train back to Purchase. Neither woman had been back to the school since Piper had graduated, but everything looked the same.

They walked through the gates, and Alex took Piper's hand in hers. "I have mixed feelings about being back here."

The blonde smiled dimly. "I wish it was under different circumstances."

"Me, too." She kissed Piper's hand, squeezed it, and then let go.

Once they were on campus, they followed the once familiar path to The Commons to find Alex's mom. Diane was busy in the kitchen, but she was dressed in all black as were all of the other food service workers. Upon seeing the couple, Diane raced out to the main area and wrapped both women in a hug.

"So good to see you," she said in an unsteady voice.

"You too, mom," Alex replied as she pulled back.

Diane wiped a tear off her cheek. "Such a tragedy."

Piper dabbed her own eyes with a Kleenex. "Is Mrs. Rankin's husband around?"

Diane nodded and pointed to her left. "He's over there, talking to Mr. Bounds."

Alex watched Piper give Mrs. Rankin's husband a big hug and admired her girlfriend for the strength she displayed. She'd told Alex during the car ride that Mrs. Rankin was the one who'd gotten her interested in pursuing an English major in college. The woman had a profound effect on the young Chapman, and Alex promised to give her girlfriend whatever comfort or space she needed throughout the day.

Although the first hour of the service was emotional for all of the patrons, by the time many of the students showed up, the place became a little less gloomy. _There was so much_ _ **life**_ _in the room_ , Alex thought, and that felt good.

After the formal part of the service concluded, things lightened up even more, and it became a celebration of Mrs. Rankin's life instead of the tragedy of losing her. Alex watched her girlfriend laugh with old friends and former teachers, which brought a smile to her face. She also watched her mother greet and comfort almost everyone in the room. There had to be at least 300 people there, but Diane made a point to hug every single person she knew.

This wasn't the time or place for Piper and Alex to come out as lovers, but neither woman resisted gentle touches or the occasional hug. There was a part of Alex that wondered if Caitlin had let everyone know about their union, and if she did, the brunette was fine with that. Their relationship didn't need to be in the spotlight; in fact, Alex would be perfectly content for it to remain private.

Alex was nibbling on a cookie and chatting with an old History colleague when Piper approached her with a hand on her shoulder. "Hey."

Alex turned around and placed her hand on Piper's elbow. "How are you holding up?"

"Ok." She smiled faintly. "Walk with me?"

She nodded, excusing herself from Bernie Ramone.

Piper grabbed Alex's hand as they walked out of The Commons. "I've never lost someone I loved."

The brunette squeezed her hand. "Sucks, doesn't it?"

"It really does." She looked up and squinted at the bright winter sun. "I want to go to our old classroom."

"Ok." Alex smiled, allowing her lover to lead the way.

The building was vacant—everyone was either in The Commons or the gym, so the women stepped inside that familiar third floor room undetected. A physical sensation washed over Alex at the strong memories associated with the place. She touched the desk that she'd sat in for four months and smiled at Mrs. Rankin's Shakespeare paperweight that had been there when she was a substitute teacher. She watched Piper stand in the doorway, taking in the scene before her and could see her eyes well up with unshed tears.

"I feel like I'm in a liminal space again." The blonde stared straight ahead at nothing in particular.

Alex sat on the lip of the desk as she'd done hundreds of times before, crossing her ankles. "Why do you say that?"

"If I step back, I feel like I can ignore everything that's happened since I graduated." She turned to face Alex. "And if I step forward, I feel like I'd _accept_ everything that's happened."

She rested her glasses on top of her head. "Which is it, then?"

Piper didn't hesitate—she took five steps into the room, until she was standing across from her lover. "Forward. Always forward with you."

Alex spread her legs a little, allowing Piper to step between them. She lifted her head, meeting Piper's lips with hers. They kissed softly, arms draped comfortably around each other.

Piper pulled back, resting her forehead against the brunette's. "I wish we could create a life," she whispered.

Alex blinked several times, trying to wrap her head around Piper's profound statement. "Wouldn't that be something?"

The blonde wrapped her hand around her girlfriend's neck and stared into her eyes. "Make love to me, Alex."

She raised her eyebrows. "As soon as we get home, I promise."

" _Now_." Piper shook her head. "I need to feel you now."

"Piper, we're at your teacher's funeral, we can't…" She was cut off by her girlfriend's mouth on hers.

The blonde ran her hands down Alex's chest, grabbing a handful of breast while angling her head to deepen the kiss.

Alex could _never fucking say no_ to Piper—she'd spent six months of her life denying Piper access to her body and her heart, and she swore on June 7 a year and a half ago, that she would never deny Piper Chapman anything she asked for again.

The blonde unbuttoned Alex's black slacks, reaching a hand inside and cupping her center. She drug one finger inside her folds, making her girlfriend moan.

Alex massaged her lover's breast with one hand, while the other traveled up her dress to her thigh. She squeezed hard, and then broke their kiss. The brunette turned them around until Piper was forced to sit on the desk. She dropped to her knees, and then lifted Piper's dress high enough to gain access to her center. Alex put her hands on the younger woman's hips, pulling her closer to the edge of the desk, and dipped her tongue into her folds, underwear still on.

"Take them off," Piper panted, her neck extended as her head fell back.

"Mmm mmm," Alex disagreed as she continued mouthing her girlfriend through the thin fabric.

The blonde used both hands to pull Alex's head closer, and she bucked her hips into her lover's face.

Alex couldn't get enough of the scent and taste of her former student. She was able to stick her tongue around the inside of her underwear, causing Piper to orgasm right there on the desk. "Fuck, Alex!" she yelled. "Oh, fuck…Iloveyousomuch…Ungh!"

The brunette placed a kiss on her lover's center, and then pulled her dress back down and stood between Piper's legs. Piper was still panting heavily, but her eyes looked damp.

"Are you crying?" She pushed Piper's hair behind her ear.

"I just needed to feel… _alive_." Piper wiped her cheeks. "Thank you for that."

"You're welcome," she whispered, holding her girlfriend close.

Alex looked around the room one last time and smiled. "I never thought we'd have sex in this room."

That caused Piper to grin. "I've had a dream or two about it."

"Yeah?" She wiped the remnants of tears off her lover's cheeks.

"Haven't you?"

Alex pursed her lips. "Maybe."

"You're full of shit." Piper kissed her on the side of the mouth.

"Yes, Piper." She rolled her eyes. "Of course I fantasized about having sex with you in this room. More times than I care to admit."

"That is _super_ hot." Piper reached up with a Kleenex to wipe her own juices off her lover's chin.

"It's _so_ fucking hot," she laughed.

Alex was so glad to see her girlfriend smile with genuine happiness that she would have said anything for the wattage she witnessed at that moment. Not that she didn't think fucking Piper in their former classroom _wasn't_ hot; quite the contrary, she'd thought about it a million times, mostly when she was at home alone and naked with her eager fingers ready to go to town.

The women used a few Clorox wipes to tidy up the desk, giggling like school girls as they walked down the hallway.

"Wait for me right here?" Piper asked before they descended the stairs.

Alex nodded, and then watched her girlfriend walk back to the classroom. She stood in the doorway and gazed into the room with affection. Piper lifted her hands over her heart and bowed her head for a moment as if paying reverence to the space that meant so much to her over the years.

When she walked back to join the brunette at the end of the corridor, Piper grabbed her hand and smiled softly. "Take me home, Alex."

* * *

Author's Note: I _so_ wanted to write classroom sex throughout the entirety of this story! I was glad that the opportunity _finally_ presented itself. It wasn't until this chapter when I felt like I got into the groove for this sequel, and I hope you'll agree that the best is yet to come. (There will be a total of 12 chapters.)


	22. Sequel, Chapter 8

This chapter is rated T for Teen.

* * *

The evening after Mrs. Rankin's funeral, Alex and Piper accepted the invitation to stay at Diane's house. All three women were too emotionally drained to cook, so they ordered Moo Goo Gai Pan and fried rice from the only Chinese restaurant in town, and then sat at the kitchen table with chopsticks in hand. They talked about Mrs. Rankin and the services that day. They also discussed many of the people who came to pay their respects. Diane said that her daughter and Piper were "the classiest couple there," which made the younger women smile.

"So what else has been going on around here?" Piper asked around a button mushroom.

"I have some exciting news." Diane wiped her mouth with a napkin and inhaled sharply. "I've been seeing someone."

Alex immediately stopped chewing. "What?"

"With Mrs. Rankin's death and all, I didn't want to say anything," she began. "And I wanted to see how long it actually lasted before opening my big, fat mouth and jinxing everything."

"That's awesome news, Diane!" Piper exclaimed. "Who is it? Do we know him?"

"You remember the bread guy, Henry Holmes?"

"Tall guy, goatee?" The blonde asked.

"Why don't I know him?" Alex questioned, setting her chopsticks down.

"You never came into The Commons in the mornings when he made deliveries, hon," her mom replied.

Alex turned to her girlfriend. "How do _you_ know him?"

"I had a study period my junior year, and I'd go into The Commons when the bread man came so that I could grab a slice of freshly baked baguette," Piper said as if it was the most natural explanation in the world. "Your mom used to butter a piece for me."

Diane covered the blonde's hand with hers. "You remember those days?"

"Of course, I do!" Piper smiled. "In fact, I might've loved you before I even loved Alex."

"Hey!" The brunette protested, but her insides melted at the thought of Piper loving her mother. She'd known since the beginning that Piper adored her mom, but hearing that she loved her made her heart soar.

"You're too sweet, kid." Diane leaned in to place a kiss on top of Piper's head. "Anyway, Henry asked me to go with him to the July 4th parade in town, so I went." She ate a piece of chicken. "We've gone out two or three times a month since then."

"Mom, this is huge," Alex said, halfway between a neutral expression and a smile.

"What's he like?" Piper asked, popping a snow pea into her mouth.

"He's divorced, but no kids; he's been baking for over 20 years; grew up in White Plains; and he plays in a Neil Diamond cover band," she replied with a huge grin.

"Haven't you gotten your fill of rock stars?" Alex rolled her eyes, but her smile betrayed her mock annoyance.

Diane swatted her arm. "Your father was an asshole who happened to play in a rock band. Henry is a business man who happens to play _Sweet Caroline_ at local bars and charity events."

Piper's smile traveled from ear to ear. "He sounds awesome."

"Is he good to you?" The brunette asked, concern etched on her face.

"Yeah, he is." She took a bite of fried rice. "We've known each other for seven years, but he just now had the balls to ask me out. Said he'd been thinking about it for a long time."

The blonde set her chopsticks down and hugged Diane with one arm. "I'm so happy for you!"

"Thanks, kid." She smiled.

"I am, too." Alex's smile was less radiant, but no less meaningful.

No one was there to watch over her mom, and she was nervous about men trying to take advantage of her. Diane had a string of boyfriends during Alex's childhood, and none of them, according to her daughter, were worthy of her. They were all love 'em and leave 'em types, and it wasn't until Diane had gotten her job at Gateway when she really seemed to wise up to the fools who were after one thing, and it certainly wasn't her money.

"Have you kissed yet?" Piper whispered.

Diane pulled back, moving her arms in a crossing motion. "I never got in your business about your sex life with my daughter, so don't think I'm about to tell you mine!"

"I asked if you'd _kissed_ , not if you _fucked_ ," Piper laughed, covering her mouth to prevent food from flying out.

Alex laughed, too. She watched the interactions that her mom had with Piper and loved every second of it.

"So when do we get to meet this Henry?" The brunette asked after a sip of Bud Light.

"If you stay in town one more night, his band is playing at St. Nick's."

Piper looked at her lover with pleading eyes. "Can we stay? Please?"

The blonde was on winter break through mid-January, and Alex had the week between Christmas and New Year's off. "If it's ok with you, mom."

"Are you kidding? Like you even have to ask!" Diane replied with a toothy grin.

Diane and Piper high fived as if they'd won a nonexistent argument, and once again, Alex smiled at their downright adorable friendship.

* * *

Piper had flipped through all of Diane's records and couldn't find a single Neil Diamond album. Alex had told her that her mom was more of a rocker, but Piper wouldn't accept that. She confessed that growing up, her parents played Neil Diamond albums almost every night after dinner. At first, Piper hated the singer/songwriter, but once she moved to boarding school, listening to Neil was one of the few things she missed about being home.

Piper borrowed Diane's car to go to the music shop downtown and purchased the double album, _Hot August Night_.

As the women started getting "all dolled up," as Mrs. Vause called it, for the concert that night, Piper approached Diane with the gift.

"I have something for you," she began. "Even if it doesn't work out with Henry, which I hope it does, this should be an essential part of your collection."

Diane unwrapped the gift (Piper had used old newspaper for lack of access to formal wrapping paper.) "Piper, you shouldn't have!"

" _Yes_ , I should have. Your boyfriend is in a Neil Diamond cover band, and you don't have his album? That's a problem." She took the record from her girlfriend's mom, and headed to the turntable. "Mind if I play it?"

"Go for it, hon!"

The blonde glanced at the album, as if choosing which song she should play, and then lined up the needle. "Alex, get in here!"

Alex came out of the bathroom, hair already coifed, wearing nothing but a black t-shirt that barely covered her ass. "What's going on?"

Piper bit her lower lip as she looked her girlfriend up and down. "We're about to dance to some serious Neil Diamond."

 _Cracklin' Rosie_ came blaring out of the speakers, and the blonde and Diane started dancing—Piper doing the mashed potato and Diane, the Watusi.

When the chorus rang out, Piper sang at the top of her lungs, " _Cracklin' Rose, you're a store bought woman, but you make me sing like a guitar hummin', so hang on to me girl, our song keeps runnin' on…Play it now, play it now, play it now, my baby_!" She reached for Alex, and forced her to dance.

The three women moved and grooved for the entire three minute song, and by the end, Diane was breathing heavy. "I have to catch my breath!"

"You're going to need to show Henry some moves tonight," Piper said, continuously bumping her hip against Diane's butt as, _I am…I Said,_ played.

"Oh, I got moves," she said, bouncing back on Piper's butt.

"I bet you do!" The blonde laughed.

"You two better stop dancing and start getting ready," Alex said with a chuckle. "We have to leave in 10 minutes."

"Dance with me," Piper requested, pulling her lover by the wrist.

The brunette noticed Piper's _sex look_ , as she liked to refer to it, and thought she probably should have put on jeans or something. Alex recalled several other instances when she wore only a t-shirt with her panties, and Piper jumped her at the very sight.

" _Stay for just a while, stay and let me look at you_ …" Piper sang the first few lines of _September Morn_ as Alex joined her in the middle of the room.

The brunette rolled her eyes. "This is so fucking cheesy."

Piper slapped her back, chastising her with a loud, _hey!_ , and then tucked her head against Alex's chest.

She'd never tire of feeling Piper's body against hers, and despite the rather tacky song, Alex found herself holding her lover a little closer, swaying in time to the music. She closed her eyes and placed her cheek on top of the blonde's head, letting out a long, contented sigh. She felt Piper's palm spread wide on her back, and every once in a while, she'd rub her thumb against the softness of Alex's t-shirt.

They were completely lost in each other on that makeshift dance floor, the world all but forgotten. Alex felt the sting of tears at the overwhelming sensation she felt for the girl she was holding close to her. She didn't allow tears to fall and silently laughed at herself for her emotional state _dancing to a fucking Neil Diamond_ _song_.

When the song was over, the next track came on, and the women separated but not before Alex took her girlfriend's face in her hands and kissed her softly on the lips.

"You two are something else to watch," Diane commented from her spot on the sofa. She dabbed her eye with her shirtsleeve.

"Please," Alex began, trying to draw attention away from their cheesy display of emotions. "Don't get all mushy on me. That's the last time I dance to a Neil Diamond slow song!"

"You're full of shit!" Piper bumped her with her hip, and then turned to Diane. "She's full of shit. Alex is like putty in my hands, especially when it comes to slow dancing with me."

"I am not! And I'm glad to see your ego is in check," Alex replied, walking back to the bathroom to finish getting ready.

Piper mouthed, "She _totally_ is," to Diane before following her girlfriend to the bathroom.

Diane shook her head and grinned. "Any person with eyes can see that."

Piper opened the door to the bathroom and stepped inside, closing it behind her.

"You're so fucking dramatic, babe," Alex chuckled.

Piper put her arms around her lover's waist from behind, resting her chin on Alex's shoulder. "Look me in the eye and tell me you didn't enjoy dancing with me."

"I can't look you in the eye," she said as she gazed into the mirror. "I'm putting on eyeliner."

"Lame excuse," Piper said with a grin. "I'll wait."

"Fine," Alex huffed, then turned in her girlfriend's arms. "I love dancing with you. I love having your arms around me. I love the way you still make me all tingly inside even though we've been together for over a year."

Piper gave her a devilish grin. "Thought so."

Alex leaned in to kiss her lover, one hand tenderly on her face, the other on her shoulder. "Now leave this room so that I can finish getting ready. We're already running late."

Piper turned to leave, and Alex gave her a little slap on the ass, causing the young Chapman to let out a yelp.

* * *

The concert was far more entertaining than Alex had anticipated, and she enjoyed Henry Holmes' showmanship (he was the pianist, not the lead singer.) When the gig was over, the women waited for Henry to wrap up backstage and join them for a drink.

"This must be your daughter," he said as he approached the women.

Diane hugged him, and Henry gave her a peck on the cheek.

"It sure is," Diane said proudly. "This is Alex, and this is her girlfriend, Piper."

"It's nice to meet you both," he said, arm wrapped low around Diane's waist. "Did you enjoy the show?"

"We did," Piper replied. "I especially loved _Hello, Again_ and _Love on the Rocks_."

"I'm surprised," he said. "Most people love _Sweet Caroline_."

"That one's too mainstream," the blonde commented.

"How often do you play?" Alex asked.

"Oh, once a month or so," he began. "These old bones can't take much more than that. Besides, I'm a baker, so I have to get out of bed at three in the morning, five days a week. Late nights don't really work for me anymore."

Alex smiled. "I bake a little myself."

Henry glanced at Diane, and then back at Alex. "Your mom told me. Maybe we can have a 'bake off' one of these days?"

"Sounds like fun," she offered. "Mom, I think we're going to head home. You ok getting back later?"

"Yeah, hon. I won't be long," Diane said with a smile.

"Henry, it was nice meeting you," Alex said, shaking his hand.

"Thanks for coming!"

With that, the women left Diane there to do whatever older couples did, which Alex hoped was _not_ the same thing she and Piper were going to do the minute they got back to the house.


	23. Sequel, Chapter 9

Author's Note: There is a two year time jump to start this chapter. Think of it as everything was status quo in Piper and Alex's world after Mrs. Rankin's death. Thanks for the reviews and feedback so far! Please keep it coming.

* * *

By Piper's 20th birthday, she was ready for her final year to begin at Barnard. She and Alex were still doing fine in their cramped studio, but the blonde had put a bug in her ear about moving into a bigger space, using her family's money. Alex had reminded her girlfriend of their conversation on the way home from Smith two years ago, about Piper not wanting to be dependent on her parents for anything, including money. It was hard for Piper, Alex assumed, to let go of wealth—a burden she considered heftier than poverty.

Alex enjoyed her job at the publishing company a great deal, and she was learning the ins and outs of writing textbooks from some serious pros in the league. In fact, she had recently begun teaming up with her former mentor, Jeff Byers, to come up with "new and improved" language for the 12th edition of a high school English textbook. If the president of the company liked what he saw once they completed a draft of the first five chapters, Alex was gunning for a major promotion and a hefty salary increase.

There was one woman at Peter Lang Publishing whom the brunette tried to avoid at every turn. Shelia Pittman was a managing editor in a different division, but she seemed to be very fond of Alex. She was short and overweight and prone to acne despite her older age. The brunette had to put up with her idle chatter for months, and one day Shelia blatantly asked her out.

"Thank you for the offer, Shelia, but I'm going to be frank with you." She licked her lips before proceeding. "I'm off the market, and I don't see that changing any time soon."

Shelia bowed her head. "What about in the future?"

"You're a nice woman, and I'm sure there's somebody out there for you. Unfortunately, that woman is not me."

"I wish it was," Shelia whispered.

The woman had no clue how utterly impossible it would be for Alex to leave Piper, but the brunette decided against putting it in those terms. She was as gentle as she could be, while still getting the message across.

"Well, maybe we could have lunch tomorrow?" Shelia tried.

"Thank you, but no. We're not going to have lunch together. Or drinks, or coffee, or dinner. Ever." Alex huffed. "I really need to get some work done."

Shelia left, presumably feeling rejected, and Alex felt badly for only a moment. She heard a knock on the door, and whipped around to yell at her admirer. "Seriously, Shelia…"

"Expecting someone else?" A man asked as he entered the office.

He looked familiar, but Alex couldn't place him. "Do I know you?"

"Bill Chapman," he announced.

"Mr. Chapman, hi." She stood to greet him, holding her hand out to shake his, but he shoved his hands into his pockets. Alex looked down for a moment, and then back up at the man in front of her. "How did you find me?"

"A little thing called the internet." He gave her a devilish smirk.

She crossed her arms, ignoring his wisecrack. "Is there something I can do for you?"

"There is, actually." He proceeded to a high countertop in the office and pulled something out of his suit breast pocket. "I want you to stay away from my daughter, and I'm prepared to make it worth your while."

Alex realized that he was writing a check. "Excuse me?"

"I'm buying her an apartment on the Upper West Side so that she can have the space she needs to complete her senior year at Barnard," he began, tearing the checkout of the book. "I don't want you to be a distraction."

"I can assure you, Mr. Chapman, I am not a distraction," she tried. "Piper is as committed to her education as I am to my job, and…"

He held up his hand and interrupted, "Save it, Ms. Vause. I think you'll find this amount will make you very comfortable for the next couple of years."

Alex was taken aback. "I don't want your money," she said like it was the most ludicrous offer in the world.

"You haven't even looked at the amount," he replied with a conceited chuckle.

"It doesn't matter if it's 100 dollars or 100 million dollars," she raised her voice and ripped up the check. "There is nothing you or anyone else could give me that would make me leave Piper!"

"I don't make second offers," he stated, once again putting his hands in his pockets.

" _Fuck you_." She took a step closer, raising her chin. "Fuck you for thinking there's a price tag on your daughter's happiness." Alex shook her head, not backing down. "You know, all she wants is a family who loves her, not some rich asshole of a father who thinks that money can buy everything. Piper would rather be _poor_ than to have to answer to you and your homophobic wife!"

Bill flexed his jaw and looked away.

"Don't you _dare_ come at me like that! Your money is worth _nothing_ to me." She blinked back angry tears. "I love your daughter because of who she is, not where she's from or how much money she has. And I don't plan on walking away from her—at least not in this lifetime."

Bill turned around, a hand shooting up to rub his chin. Alex didn't know if he was going to take a swing at her or dash out of the room. She stood there, heart beating out of control.

"I miss my daughter," he whispered with a tremble to his voice. "I miss her so much," he said in a more steady tone, turning back to face her. "I don't want to lose her, and I'm afraid I already have."

That was the _last_ thing Alex expected to hear. The two remained silent for a moment as Alex tried to wrap her head around the shift in conversation.

"You're going to lose her," she began. "If you don't accept her for who she is, and quite frankly, who she loves."

He shook his head. "You have no idea how hard this is…to watch her fall in love with a…a woman."

"I'm not the spokesperson for PFLAG, and I don't give a rat's ass who people love—gay or straight," Alex said, shaking her head. "But I can tell you that your daughter is so completely filled with love that she has enough to spare for both of us. She loves me for _me_ , not because I'm a woman or because of some fucked up idea that you might have that she's doing this to spite you. She craves your approval, and I think a part of her will always be broken without it."

Bill lowered his head. "I don't know if I can accept her with a woman. I was brought up in a very different time."

"Then you _will_ lose her." She shrugged. "I can only imagine what it would be like to have Piper in your life, and then have her taken away. That's not something I could handle."

Bill regarded her. "The only thing I can do is try."

A dim smile crossed her lips. "I'm sure Piper would like to hear that."

"This… _attempt_ isn't going to happen overnight," he sighed.

"No one expects that." She crossed her arms again. "Take the time you need, and if you have questions or want to yell at someone, come to me, not her. Piper wouldn't want to see you at your lowest, most pathetic point."

"You really love her," he stated with raised eyebrows.

"More than you or _anyone_ will ever comprehend," she admitted.

He nodded, and then walked out.

Alex shut the door behind him and blinked several times until tears ran down her face. She didn't know whether to keep that little conversation to herself or to tell her girlfriend about it. Either way, she knew that she was going to bear the brunt of Bill Chapman's homophobia for the foreseeable future.

* * *

Alex couldn't remember a day that was worse than the one she'd experienced three days ago. Then she recalled the time when she and Piper broke up the summer after Piper had graduated from high school, and realized that as bad days went, the one she recently had wasn't near the top of the list.

She came home to find Piper already there, snacking on a vanilla pudding cup. "I have some good news!"

The brunette threw her bag on the side table and removed her sunglasses. "Yeah? What's that?"

"I officially declared a double major," she said with enthusiasm. "English and education."

"That's great, babe." She hugged her girlfriend. "I can't say I'm surprised. You've been hinting at the possibility of teaching someday."

"I have to start my student teaching this semester," Piper responded.

"Yeah, you're probably behind on that," Alex said.

She shrugged. "If I teach this semester and next, I'll still be able to graduate in May. It's just going to be a ton of work."

"It is," Alex replied, kissing her on the lips and grinning. "But if anyone is up for the challenge, it's you."

"True." Piper returned Alex's kiss and began lifting her shirt over her head.

They hadn't had sex in four days, and that had everything to do with Alex.

"Wait." The brunette held up a hand.

"What's wrong?"

She pulled Piper's shirt back down. "There's something I need to tell you."

"Is it about that Shelia woman again? Did she ask you out?" Piper raised her eyebrows.

That was the furthest thing from Alex's mind, but she'd forgotten that _had_ happened.

"Actually, yes," she started. "But that's not what this is about."

The blonde stepped back. "Please tell me you turned her down."

"Of course, I turned her down! Seriously, babe, you think I'd go out with someone else?" Alex questioned.

"No," she pouted.

"Come on, you're not the jealous type." She kissed her cheek.

"I'm not jealous…I just think it's time that I meet her so she knows she's dealing with a real person, and you didn't just, I don't know, _imagine me_ to shut her down," Piper offered.

Alex laughed. "You've given some thought to this, haven't you?"

She shrugged. "I was bored in psychology class today."

The brunette knew Piper was just being silly; if she really was jealous, it would be a far more serious confrontation.

"Come have lunch with me on Thursday when you have that chunk of free time," Alex said. "I can't wait to show you off."

"Good," Piper said with a satisfied smirk.

"Anyway, that wasn't what I wanted to talk to you about." She ran a hand through her hair and paused. "Your dad came to see me a few days ago."

The blonde's eyes shot open. "My dad? How did he even know where to find you?"

Alex ignored her questions and dove right in, "He offered to pay me to break up with you." She waited for Piper's reaction.

"Pay you? As in a _bribe_?" Her eyebrows nearly touched her hairline.

The brunette nodded.

"Are you kidding me?" Piper stood and paced in the small room. "I hope you told him to fuck off!"

"Actually, things kind of turned around," she began. "I told him that he couldn't 'buy' you and that we loved each other. I also said that if he didn't change his attitude, he was going to lose you."

"He has already fucking lost me," she shouted.

Alex stood in front of her girlfriend. "I think he's trying to accept your life for what it is. At least he told me he was going to try."

Piper's eyes filled with tears. "He's never going to accept that I'm with a woman…that I'm with you."

It was Alex's turn to raise her brows. "He will if he wants you in his life."

The blonde shook her head. "Why didn't you tell me this sooner?"

She looked at her feet. "I didn't want to hurt you."

"It's not _you_ doing the hurting, Alex," she said, wiping a tear off her face. "I need to go for a walk or something."

"Take your time," the brunette offered. "I know this is a lot to process."

Piper changed into sweats and put her running shoes on, and Alex pretended to read a book. Both women were silent for several minutes.

Before she exited, Piper stood in the doorway and twisted her head around. "Will you come with me?" She asked in a small voice.

Alex smiled tenderly. "Yeah."

The women walked for two hours around Central Park and up Amsterdam Avenue. They mostly made small talk, but then Piper brought up her father's visit. Alex answered the questions she could and tried to make suggestions on how she'd deal with the issue if the positions were reversed.

"It needs to be on him," the blonde stated firmly.

"I agree, but you _could_ reach out, you know, throw him a bone."

Piper chewed on that for a moment. "What if I invite him to dinner, telling him that it's on one condition: you're join us?"

"I don't know." She scratched her head. "Maybe it should just be the two of you before folding me into the equation."

"You're already part of the equation, Alex," the blonde said. "Besides, if he doesn't accept you, I don't want anything to do with him. We're a package deal."

She smiled and put an arm around her lover's shoulders, bringing her closer to kiss her head. "As my mom would say, 'You're something else, kid.'"


	24. Sequel, Chapter 10

Piper informed Alex a few days later that she'd reached out to her father to see if he was interested in meeting them for dinner in the city on Saturday night. He had accepted, and Piper was a nervous wreck as the date approached. To take Piper's mind off of the dinner meeting with her father, Alex tried to stoke her girlfriend up for meeting Shelia that Thursday. It worked like a charm, and the blonde spent hours shopping to find the perfect outfit for meeting the woman who had a crush on her lover.

"Hey," Piper greeted Alex with a peck on the lips.

The brunette wheeled her desk chair back and stood. "Hi, ready for lunch?"

She held up a brown bag. "I brought Nicoise salads and San Pellegrino."

"My favorite." Alex shut her laptop and took her girlfriend's hand, escorting her down the hallway to the staff lunch room. "Shelia will probably be here in five minutes. She has a sixth sense for when I'm taking my lunch break." She stood in front of an open table and glanced at her girlfriend. "You look pretty fucking hot." She smirked.

Piper wore tight, faded jeans and a dark blue flounce cami with a deep V-neckline and spaghetti straps. She had on Alex's leather jacket unzipped over the blouse. "That was my goal."

"Is that my jacket?" Alex took a seat across from the blonde.

"I don't own a leather jacket, so yes, it is." She took the food out of the bag.

"You should wear it more often." The brunette licked her lips. "Preferably in bed with nothing under it."

Piper tilted her head. "That can be arranged."

"Hey, Alex," Shelia said as she approached their table. "Mind if I join you?"

"I do mind, actually." She brushed her hair over one shoulder. "I'm having lunch with my girlfriend."

Shelia glanced at the blonde. "Your girlfriend?"

"Hi, I'm Piper." She shook the other woman's hand. "Alex's girlfriend…or partner…whatever you want to call me."

"Oh, I…" Shelia looked down, and then back up at both women. "How long have you been together?"

"Four years?" The blonde looked at her lover for clarification.

"Something like that, yeah." She took a sip of lemon San Pellegrino.

"You're a really lucky woman," Shelia said.

"Believe me, I know." Piper grabbed Alex's hand and rubbed her knuckles with her thumb.

"Well, I guess I won't keep you from eating your lunch," Shelia replied. Before walking away, she turned around and added. "If you ever consider a threesome, I'd be honored."

The blonde's eyes bugged out, but Alex kept her cool. "I'm not going to share Piper with anyone, but thanks anyway."

"Yeah, I…um, feel the same way. I'm not into sharing," Piper added.

Alex could tell that her girlfriend was doing everything in her power not to laugh hysterically in that moment. As soon as Shelia was out of sight, the blonde let out a boisterous burst of laughter.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Piper asked between laughs. " _That_ was Shelia? And she hit on _both_ of us?"

"She was not blessed with social graces," Alex replied with a milder laugh.

"Oh, man…that was priceless!"

"Now you can see that there's no reason _at all_ to be jealous, babe." She took a bite of salad.

"I don't know…she was kind of cute," the blonde replied, hardly containing a grin.

That earned her a wide Alex smile. "Please!"

* * *

On Saturday afternoon, Piper's nerves got the best of her, and she began dropping clues of potentially backing out of dinner with her father.

"I see what you're doing," Alex said, curling iron in her hair. "You're hoping that I'll talk shit about your dad, making you think that _I'm_ the one who wants to back out. Not gonna work, kid."

Piper sulked, knowing that her girlfriend could read her like a book. "I'm scared that he's going to say something to piss me off, and I'm going to make a scene in the restaurant."

"You're not usually one to fly off the handle." She turned down the Pearl Jam song that was blaring in the background.

The blonde put on a lacy black bra and matching panties, and Alex had to turn away. _Now_ was not the time for a romp in the sack, but oh, how she wanted Piper and her toned, little body.

"If he insults you, I _will_ fly off the handle," she stated firmly, seemingly unaware of Alex's sexual thoughts.

"Is this going to be like an episode of the Jerry Springer show?" The brunette teased, putting mascara on her eyelashes and banishing those _other_ thoughts from her mind. "Maybe I should sell tickets."

"You're not funny," she pouted, pulling on a thin, beige sweater.

Alex eyed her through the mirror. "That sweater is a little see-through."

Piper looked at her chest. "I'm wearing something that makes me look like an adult."

"If you talk and act like an adult, which you normally do, your clothes won't matter."

"He still sees me as a child." She pulled on a pair of black pants that looked like they were tailor made for her body. "So whatever I can do to look more grown up, I'll do."

"You certainly don't look like a child to me." Alex couldn't help it. She sauntered over to her lover and gave her a healthy kiss on the lips, opening her mouth to indicate that she wanted Piper's tongue inside. "If you _really_ want to back out, tell me now, because I can easily be persuaded to skip dinner with you looking the way you do." She tilted her head, placing one hand on the back of Piper's neck, and deepened the kiss.

"You think I look hot?" Piper smiled against her lips.

"Fuck, yeah." She continued kissing her lover.

The blonde pushed against Alex's chest. "Good. That's what I want him to think."

"Eww, that's gross." She wiped her mouth.

"That's not what I meant," Piper corrected. "I want my dad to see me as older and, I don't know…desirable."

She cupped Piper's face with both hands and looked into her eyes. "If anyone in that restaurant doesn't think you're _desirable_ , they're fucking nuts." Alex pulled back. "In fact, I'm going to take a poll when we go inside to see how many people think you're hot."

This caused the blonde to giggle. "Alex!"

"What? Dare me?" She smiled at her girlfriend, and then looked serious again. "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever met, babe, and you don't have to prove a thing to anyone, including your father."

Piper kissed her lover on the cheek and gave her a big hug. "Thank you for everything, Alex."

"You're welcome."

* * *

They took a taxi to _Nice Matin_ , a French-Mediterranean inspired restaurant on West 70th Street, and Piper was antsy for the short cab ride.

"I'll be next to you the whole time," Alex stated right before they exited. "If you feel like screaming or running away, put your hand on my leg under the table."

The blonde nodded.

When they entered the restaurant, Piper's father was already there, sitting at the bar. Alex walked behind her girlfriend, hand gently at the small of her back. If there was one way she knew how to calm Piper down, it was with physical touch.

"Hi dad," Piper tucked a strand of curly hair behind her ear.

"Piper." He stood and went in for a hug, but she took a step back. Instead, he touched her shoulder. "It's so good to see you, sweetheart."

She tried smiling. "You remember Alex?"

"I do," he said, sticking out his hand to shake hers. "I believe I owe her an apology."

Alex could see that her girlfriend was surprised, and she herself was most definitely floored.

She shook his hand, but didn't reply. After all, what was she to say? _Yes, you fucking prick, you DO owe me an apology. And apologize to your daughter, while you're at it for being such a dick_.

"I did something I'm ashamed of, Alex, and I'm truly sorry," he admitted.

Alex felt like she was a good judge of character, and unless this man was an award-winning actor, she believed the sincerity of his statement.

"Apology accepted," she said with a forced smile. It was still too early to trust the man.

Bill smiled. "I believe our table is ready." He put his hand on Piper's upper back and escorted her to the hostess stand. The gesture wasn't lost on Alex, but this night was not about her—it was about her girlfriend reconnecting with her father. If he needed physical contact to feel good about himself, so be it.

The server took their drink orders, and Bill made small talk about a business trip he was taking to Paris the next morning. Piper replied with a snarky comment, "How convenient of you to make it to the city since you'll be flying out of JFK."

"I'm actually flying out of Newark," he retorted.

Their drinks were delivered—Bourbon for Bill, gin martini for Alex, and sparkling water for Piper.

When Bill didn't attempt to make a toast, Alex stepped up. She raised her glass, and the others followed suit. "A la votre!"

Piper clinked her glass against her girlfriend's. "Since when do you speak French?"

"Since high school." She took a sip.

"Eh, parlez vous francais?" Bill asked.

There was a part of her that wondered if he was trying to catch her in a lie. "Un peu. Je parle pas beaucoup, mais je sais assez pur passe."

"Impressive." Bill clinked his glass against Alex's for a second time. "Have you spent any time in France?"

"No, maybe someday though." She took another sip of her dry martini. "I took four years of French in high school and another two in college."

"So did I," Piper added. "I mean, I took four years in high school and have taken three in college."

"I remember," Alex said fondly.

They ordered their meals, and Bill took the liberty of ordering appetizers. Most of the pre-dinner conversation was between Piper and her father, which was fine with Alex. She liked watching Piper talk to others—she had a way of synthesizing information rapidly that made her excellent at conversing with adults.

Bill ordered another Bourbon, and asked Alex if she'd like another cocktail. She decided to switch to wine with dinner, and Bill asked if she'd like to look at the wine list to choose a bottle. Again, the brunette wondered if Piper's father was trying to trip her up, but she tried banishing that thought and giving him the benefit of the doubt.

While her nose was buried in the 10-page wine list, she listened acutely to the conversation. Everything seemed to be very surface level at the time, and Alex wondered if that's how the evening would go—no real decisions rendered and no formative opinions shared.

Keeping with the French theme, Alex ordered a bottle of Domaine Saint-Roche Viognier, and when the sommelier presented the bottle to them, Bill checked with Alex. "Are you comfortable tasting for the table?"

"Sure," she responded. "One of my college roommates was from Sonoma, and her family owned a winery."

The sommelier poured an ounce of white wine into Alex's glass.

"I'm fairly familiar with Northern California wine, which one do they own?"

"Matanzas Creek in Santa Rosa." She swirled the pale yellow liquid in her mouth and looked up at the somm. "It's great, thank you."

"I think they're known for their Sauvignon Blanc," Bill replied, finishing his Bourbon.

"They are," she said with a genuine grin. "But if you like reds, their Merlot is really special."

The somm poured a glass for each of the guests at the table, including Piper. (It wasn't unusual for Piper to enjoy wine with Alex after work and at dinner. She'd informed her a while ago that wine at dinner was standard growing up, even for the Chapman children.)

It was Bill's turn to raise his glass for a second toast. "To discovery."

"Cheers." She toasted to Piper first, and then clinked glasses with Mr. Chapman.

Their entrees arrived, and they once again made small talk, this time about Alex's college experience at UC Berkeley.

"How's this going so far, dad?" Piper asked her father after a bite of bouillabaisse.

"Fine, but I have to say it's like eating dinner with you and a friend," he replied.

Piper covered her girlfriend's hand with her own. "Alex is more than a friend, dad, and I need you to understand that. We don't hold hands and kiss all the time, but we're a couple, and we do _coupley_ things."

Alex tensed, but she hoped Piper didn't sense it.

He looked at his plate. "That's really hard for me to digest."

"I know it is, but I want you to comprehend what I'm saying." She glanced at Alex, and then back at her father. "I love Alex deeply, and I want to feel comfortable expressing my affection for her in front of you."

"We're not going to _makeout_ in front of you, Bill," the brunette tried with a small smile.

She watched Mr. Chapman's shoulders drop as if he was relieved by her statement.

"But we're going to behave like couples do, which means there's going to be hand holding, affectionate touching, and maybe even a kiss at some point," Alex added.

"You seem like a decent person, Alex, and it's clear that you love my daughter." He put his fork down and steepled his hands. "If you were a man, I'd be protective of Piper, so in that sense, your gender is insignificant. What I'm grappling with is that you're _not_ a man, which means this isn't a traditional relationship, and I was raised in a very traditional Protestant family." He glanced at both of them. "There might be a time in the distant future when I can watch the two of you…kiss, but that's not where I am right now. So I ask that you respect my position _for now_ ; let me get to know you as a person, Alex, and both of you…as a couple…and I pray that one day, I'll accept your relationship."

A tiny smile formed on both women's faces, but Alex allowed her girlfriend to speak first.

"I can live with that," Piper said. She looked at Alex. "Can you, babe?"

Alex blushed and looked at Bill. "She called me that to get a rise out of you."

Piper folded her arms. "I most certainly did not. That's what we call each other, and I'm not going to change the way we speak because of him."

"You lived with her for, what, 14 years before she went off to boarding school?" Alex asked. "Surely you know how stubborn she can be."

Bill smiled. "Just like her father."

That earned him a 100 watt Piper Chapman smile.


	25. Sequel, Chapter 11

This chapter is rated M for Mature. The last two chapters are longer than most others, so there will only be one update today and the final chapter will be posted tomorrow morning.

* * *

For the entirety of Piper's senior year at Barnard, she was either in class, student teaching in Harlem, or compiling lesson plans, all of which took 50-60 hours per week. Although Alex missed her lover's availability, she was also busy with the re-writes to an English textbook. She'd gotten a promotion and a $10,000 raise, and she and Piper had already begun talking about moving into a larger apartment as soon as the blonde landed a permanent teaching gig.

Henry and Diane were still going strong, and Alex liked him quite a bit. They still hadn't done their baking competition, but that was on the docket for the second week of April, when Piper was on Spring Break, and Alex was planning to use a few vacation days to spend in Purchase. She missed the small town feel of her hometown, but she enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the city, too.

Piper and her father talked on the phone once a week, and the three of them had brunch one Sunday morning after Christmas. The meeting went very similar to their dinner that fall, but Piper tested the waters a bit more by touching her girlfriend several times throughout brunch. Alex kept a close eye on Bill, hoping she'd have no reason to doubt his intentions. To Alex's relief, he seemed to be genuine in his desire to reconnect with his daughter and to accept her relationship with Alex.

Alex still marveled at how sexy Piper was, and she always enjoyed showing her exactly how she felt. Their sex life had never needed a boost—if given the opportunity, they would receive an A+ from Dr. Ruth. Alex wished they had a bit more excitement and variety in their lives, but they were too busy and not wealthy enough to make any major changes until Piper was done with college. There was a possibility that they'd go on a trip immediately after Piper's graduation, but it would likely be someplace along the East Coast, like crabbing in Maine or skiing in New Hampshire.

The thought of going to the Chapman cottage was always there, but neither woman thought that was a good idea until Bill fully supported them as a couple. (There was no chance Carol would change her mind about Alex, and Piper decided not to even try.)

* * *

The April sun was shining bright the morning they took the train into Purchase. Returning to the train depot that held so many memories for them was always a treat. When they got off, they always held hands and exchanged a knowing glance. Alex had never thought of herself as a nostalgic person, but perhaps that was because she didn't have many memories worth holding on to as a child. With Piper, it was the total opposite—she cherished all of the memories and mentioned them to her lover more often than she ever thought she would.

Diane picked the women up at the train station as she always did, and the three of them gabbed during the 10 minute drive to her house.

"Henry can't wait for the 'bake off,'" she said with a huge smile.

"He's going to kick my ass," she replied with a sigh. "I haven't baked in years."

"I'm sure it'll all come back to you as soon as you get in kitchen," she responded. "Remember that pear tart you made when you came home for Spring Break that one year?"

"Yeah," she said with fondness. "That was pretty good."

They discussed the plan for the competition, and Alex had an hour to do the grocery shopping for her baking items later that day. That left Piper and Diane to do whatever they wanted.

"Why don't we get some stuff for dinner? We'll make something simple," Piper offered.

"Sounds like a plan, kid," Diane replied.

* * *

Piper had promised Mr. Bounds, the headmaster at Gateway, that she'd have lunch with him when she got to town. They'd kept in touch throughout the years, and Alex knew that her girlfriend held him in the highest regard. The brunette was perfectly fine with that idea and was looking forward to some time alone with her mom—not that Piper was ever unwelcomed—but Alex couldn't remember a time over the past four years when they'd had a chance to talk, just the two of them.

She sat on the sofa, next to her mom, both women sipping homemade lemonade, and asked about how things were going with Henry.

"We're talking about moving in together," Diane confessed.

"That's a big step," her daughter commented. "Are you sure you're ready for that?"

Diane shrugged. "Who ever knows if they're ready? All I know is that I love the man, and he loves me."

"That sounds like a good reason," she chuckled.

"What about you and Piper?" Diane enquired.

She sipped her drink. "We already live together."

"You two ever discuss marriage? It's legal now, you know," she said like it was _big news_ that she was delivering.

"I _do_ know, thank you." She intentionally left it at that just to mess with her mom.

"Well?" Diane asked. "Do you want to marry her?"

"Like that's a question you need to ask!" She smirked. " _Of course_ I want to marry Piper. I've known that for a very long time."

Diane smiled. "You little shit, you left me hanging on purpose, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I did," she laughed. "Well, it was a stupid question."

"I was just checking," she stated. "I never want to assume anything."

"You could've assumed _that_ , mom." She stood and downed the rest of her lemonade. "Piper should be home any minute. I'm going to take a shower. I didn't have time to take one before we left."

"Your train left at 11 a.m.," her mom said with a confused expression. "Since when do you sleep in?"

Alex walked down the hallway and smirked. "Who said anything about sleeping in?" She proceeded into the bathroom and shut the door before she could hear her mom's response.

She and Piper had _incredible_ sex that morning. Alex attributed it to the fact that she was on vacation for four days, and Piper had just started her last Spring Break in college. It had felt like they had all the time in the world, which was a rarity for them over the past couple of years.

* * *

Piper arrived back at Diane's house minutes after Alex had gotten into the shower.

She tapped on the door. "Al?"

"Yeah?"

The blonde walked in. "Can I join you?"

"You've never asked _before_." She smiled.

Seconds later, Piper was under the warm spray with her girlfriend.

"Hey, babe," Alex whispered with a kiss.

The blonde put her arms over Alex's shoulders and moved in for a more intimate kiss. "I love when you're wet."

She smirked. "You're making me wet as we speak."

"We haven't had shower sex in a long time," Piper added, kissing a line down her lover's neck.

"That's because one person hardly fits in our shower." She ran her hand down the blonde's arm. "My mom is in the other room."

"No, she's not," Piper offered, sucking one of Alex's nipples into her mouth. "She had to run an errand. It's just the two of us."

Alex moaned at the sensation. "That's the best news I've heard all day."

Piper ran her finger through Alex's folds, causing the brunette to moan again. " _Fuck, Piper_."

"Just being in this town makes me horny," she said, kissing her lover on the mouth again.

"Then maybe we should move back," the brunette teased.

Piper got on her knees and spread her lover's pussy, wasting no time shoving her tongue inside.

Alex had to place one hand on the shower wall and one foot in the corner of the tub to stop herself from crumbling at the sensation. The other hand was on the back of Piper's head, fingers scrunched in her wet hair.

"That feels so good, babe…yeah, right there." She started bucking her hips. One look down at Piper's face between her legs sent her over the edge. "I'm cuming, ohGodfuckme…Ungh, Piper!"

The blonde licked her lover's juices as best she could before the shower spray cleaned her. Both women had confessed to the other years ago that they loved the way each other tasted, and lapping up each other's juice was a treat.

Piper swallowed as Alex helped her back to her feet. She raised her face towards the spray, washing her chin.

"That was amazing," the brunette said. (She was the one who had gone down on Piper that morning.)

"I have something to tell you, babe." She rubbed her girlfriend's back in long, slow strokes.

Alex put her hands on her lover's hips and kissed the column of her neck. "What?"

"It's pretty monumental," Piper prefaced.

The brunette laughed somewhat nervously. "Ok, spit it out."

Piper grabbed Alex's face and looked directly at her. "Mr. Bounds wants me to teach at Gateway."

Her eyebrows shot up. "What?"

The blonde nodded. "After Mrs. Rankin passed, they hired a substitute, and the kids apparently hate him, and he's not an effective teacher. He's going to finish out the school year, but Mr. Bounds is looking for someone to teach senior-level English, starting this fall."

"Wow, that's…" Alex couldn't believe her ears. "Piper, that's flattering if nothing else. Are you considering it?"

She shrugged. "I wouldn't consider anything without talking to you first, but it's appealing."

"Talk about full circle," she let out a small laugh.

Piper bit her lower lip. "I know; it's crazy."

"There's a lot to think about," Alex replied.

"Al? Piper?" Diane called from the hallway. "You two in the bathroom? I really gotta pee."

The younger women laughed, still wrapped in each other's arms.

"Yeah, we'll be out in a minute," Alex offered. She fused her forehead against Piper's. "Let's discuss this later. My mom has a small bladder."

She smiled. "I want this to be between you and me for now. No sense in getting your mom all excited if it doesn't work out."

"True." Alex kissed her gently on the lips. "Congratulations, babe. You're fucking awesome."

* * *

By the time they'd both cleaned up and got dressed, Henry had arrived with a bag of groceries and a Kitchen Aid mixer.

"Hi, Henry," Piper said, giving the tall man a hug. "I know you're a professional baker and all, but if you beat my girlfriend in this little contest, I'm going to have to mess you up."

Henry laughed. "Should I put up my dukes?"

"You'd better!"

Alex rubbed her back and chuckled.

"She's a feisty one," Henry greeted the brunette.

"You have no idea." She gave him a hug. "You ready to do this?"

"Been ready for, what, three years?"

"Has it really been that long?" Alex asked, escorting him into the kitchen.

"Yeah, I think it has," he said.

Diane laid out the rules, and she and Piper were going to be the taste testing judges. They each had one hour to prep, and then an hour to bake. Meantime, she and Piper were going to the market to pick up something for dinner.

Alex had decided to bake an old-fashioned strawberry shortcake, and Henry was baking lemon meringue. She could tell that the man was just going through the motions of this silly contest to spend time with her, a fact that she found endearing.

They made small talk during the first 30 minutes, and then Henry's face became serious.

"Alex, there's something I want to ask you," he stated as he squeezed several lemons into a measuring cup.

"Ok…" she trailed.

"You know I love your mother. I think she's the nicest, most caring, and grooviest woman I've ever met," he began, turning to face her. "And I want to marry her."

Alex was taken aback. "Wow, Henry, I didn't expect this."

"I'm not going to ask her without your blessing, kid, so I'm asking for it now." He scratched his face. "And if you can't tell, I'm nervous as all hell."

"Of course you have my blessing! Get over here!" She pulled him in for a sincere hug. "My mom is so lucky to have met you."

"Not half as lucky as I was to meet her," he replied.

They released each other, and Alex could see tears in Henry's eyes. She was touched.

"So when are you going to pop the question?"

"Oh, probably in the next month or two. Gotta get the ring first," he replied, going back to his pie filling.

"She's not big on jewelry, so don't stress about the ring," Alex offered, looking up at him. "I'm thrilled for you. I really am."

"That means a lot, kid."

Alex felt a silly smile on her face for the rest of the baking competition, and there was nothing that anyone could say or do to erase it.

* * *

While the pies were in the oven, Piper and Diane whipped up a quick pasta dish and a Caesar salad. The conversation at dinner flowed effortlessly, and Alex was struck by how comfortable she was in that setting. She knew how much Piper adored her mother, and now Henry, and began reflecting on what their life might be like if her girlfriend took the teaching position at Gateway.

The biggest discussion would be where they'd live. On the one hand, Alex loved living in Manhattan—it was close to work, there was every kind of food imaginable, there was always something to do, and it was easy to get back to Purchase when necessary. On the other hand, she loved the charming small town life in Purchase, and she craved being closer to her mother.

"Alex?" Piper nudged her. "Henry was talking to you."

"Oh, sorry," she said. "Lost in my thoughts."

Henry repeated his question, and then the conversation flowed again.

By the time they cleaned the dishes, the pies were done. Henry and Alex brought each of their masterpieces to the kitchen table, not giving away whose was whose.

Piper and Diane _oohed_ and _ahhed_ at each bite, and both women said that it was difficult to choose. In the end, Piper picked Alex's, and Diane chose Henry's. All four of them laughed at the outcome and swore there was no cheating going on.

They all ate the baked goods with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and then Henry announced that it was time for him to leave. They said their goodbyes, and then the women decided to turn in for the night, too.

* * *

In bed that night, Alex rolled over and brushed Piper's hair off her neck, and then put one arm under her pillow and the other around her waist. "Guess what?"

"Hmm?" Piper answered groggily.

She smiled. "Henry is going to ask my mom to marry him."

The blonde turned onto her back and looked at her girlfriend with amazement. "Oh my God! That's incredible!"

Alex issued a full smile. "I know, right?"

"When is he going to propose?"

"In a month or so; he has to buy the ring." The brunette rubbed her lover's bare stomach as her tank top had slid up. "He wants it to be a secret, so…"

"My lips are sealed." She made a locking motion over her mouth. "Your mom is going to be so surprised and happy."

"Yeah, she will," she chuckled lightly.

Piper pulled Alex's head down to kiss her lightly. "Are you ok with this?"

She locked hands with her lover. "Yeah. Henry's a good guy; my mom lucked out with him."

"I agree." She ran her hand down Alex's cheek and then returned to her original spooned position.

Alex snuggled closer, bending her legs to allow Piper's to fit with hers like two pieces of a puzzle. "Has the job offer been on your mind?"

"Of course it has," Piper sighed. "But it wasn't really an offer. It was more like an exploratory conversation."

She kissed her girlfriend's ear. "If you took it, where would we live?"

"I was thinking that we could keep the studio in the city, and possibly move into one of the faculty houses at Gateway." Piper squeezed her lover's hand.

"I forgot about the housing at school," Alex said. "That could work. I could stay in the city a couple of nights a week, and I'd commute on the train the other days."

"Plus, we'd have a place in Manhattan to escape to if Purchase seemed too small, you know?" She turned again in Alex's arms.

"True." Alex kissed her on the lips. "Are you and Mr. Bounds going to have a more formal conversation soon?"

Piper rubbed her lover's cheek with her thumb. "Yeah, I asked him to contact me later this week so that we could set up a time to talk before the end of April."

Alex smiled. "I think you should do it, babe."

She returned the smile. "Yeah?"

The brunette nodded and kissed her girlfriend soundly. "Yeah."


	26. Sequel, Chapter 12

This final chapter is rated M for Mature.

* * *

After much deliberation and with sheer joy, Piper decided to take the teaching job at Gateway. She and Alex had determined that it was the best investment for Piper, and it was also a good decision for them as a couple. Alex admitted that she wasn't looking forward to a few nights a week without her lover next to her in bed, but that would give them the time they needed to focus on their jobs. She'd also promised Piper that she'd enquire about the possibility of working from home once a week since much of what she did for her job required reading and editing on a computer.

Diane was overjoyed at the prospect of her daughter and Piper moving back to Purchase—she might have even been happier than the couple involved. Piper had become like a second daughter to her, and she couldn't wait to see the blonde every day.

Henry had proposed to Diane three weeks after his heartfelt conversation with Alex, and they intended to tie the knot that December. He'd bought her a sapphire engagement ring instead of a diamond, explaining that it represented faithfulness and sincerity—two traits he promised Diane for as long as they were alive.

For Piper's 21st birthday, Alex whisked her away to the Chapman cottage as a surprise. Although she had to swallow her pride to ask Bill Chapman for permission to use their family home, Alex knew it would be worth it in the end.

She'd blindfolded Piper once they got out of the city, and promised that she'd appreciate where she was taking her, but Alex figured that her lover knew all along. They celebrated Piper's 21st birthday in very similar fashion to her 18th—Alex took her out for a nice dinner, they went for a dip in the pool, and they made love for hours on end. They reminisced about their first time together, and both women smiled at the memory.

One night Alex got Piper fairly drunk on Champagne since the young Chapman could now legally drink, and Piper went on and on about wanting a family with Alex. She apologized to her girlfriend the next morning, but Alex could tell that Piper wasn't _fully_ sorry and guessed that there was some truth to her drunken wish.

* * *

There was one thing that Alex was determined to do before their move back to Purchase in late August. She checked her watch for the third time, noticing that her guest was 10 minutes late. For a moment, she thought maybe he was standing her up, but then he got out of a taxi in the rain and jogged over to meet Alex with a newspaper over his head as a substitute for an umbrella.

"Sorry I'm late," Bill Chapman said, shaking her hand as if this was some sort of business meeting. "Is Piper ok?"

She'd asked Piper's father to meet her without an explanation, so Alex understood his initial concern. "She's fine. I didn't mean to worry you."

Bill opened the door for her, and they were seated at a table near the window.

This was the first time the two of them had been alone since the man had tried to bribe Alex to leave Piper. The first few minutes were awkward, and Alex was thankful for the waiter's interruption. They placed their orders, and Alex dove in.

"You're probably wondering why I asked you to have lunch with me." She took a sip of water; her mouth was suddenly dry.

"Yes, you've piqued my curiosity."

"I've told you from the beginning that I love Piper more than I ever thought I could love anyone. She is _everything_ to me." Alex hoped that her nerves weren't showing as she placed her clammy hands on her lap under the table. "Now that she's out of college, and we're both gainfully employed, I want to make it official." She watched Bill's entire body tense up. "I know you're fond of tradition, Bill, and my relationship with Piper is far from traditional," she continued. "But to honor your upbringing, I'm here to ask for your blessing to marry your daughter."

Bill's eyes opened wide. "I wasn't expecting that."

She watched him fidget in the chair and take a long sip of iced tea. "This isn't how I pictured being asked for my daughter's hand in marriage. I always thought it would be some handsome man, probably in finance on Wall Street, sitting in front of me a few years from now." Bill looked at his plate and was silent for a moment.

The brunette looked out of the window, cursing herself for her stupid idea to involve Piper's father. She didn't need Bill Chapman's blessing, and it didn't matter much to her if she received it or not—she intended to propose to Piper no matter what.

"All I've wanted for my daughter since the day she was born was for her to be happy and _loved_." He put both hands on the table, as if laying out all his cards. "And then _you_ came along," he sighed.

She glanced out the window again and swallowed hard.

"Alex, your love for Piper blows me away."

To say that she was stunned at his remark was a severe understatement. Her head whipped around as she regarded the man in front of her.

"I've never admitted that out loud." He shook his head as if coming out of his reverie. "Every time my daughter talks about you, her face lights up. Even when we're on the phone, I can hear the pure joy in her voice." He let out a small huff, as if he couldn't believe he was saying these things aloud. "It's hard for me to fathom that kind of love, even though I don't necessarily agree with your… _couplehood_ …but it's clear to me that you're both in this thing, waist deep, and there's no pulling you out."

"I think we're in a lot deeper than our waists." She smiled and felt the prickle of tears in her eyes. "Maybe up to our foreheads."

That earned her a genuine smile.

"I promise you, Mr. Chapman, that I will love and honor your daughter for the rest of my life." She didn't care that her voice was wavering. "Her happiness is my priority, and there's nothing on this earth that means more than that."

"I know…I can't believe I'm saying this, but you have my blessing." He pushed his chair back and walked over to her, holding his arms open.

Alex stood and accepted Bill's hug. She felt a tear drip down her cheek, and he pulled back and wiped it away.

"Thank you _so_ much," she whispered.

"Thank _you_ ," he replied with damp eyes. He released her and proceeded back to his seat. "Now, what will we do about my wife?"

* * *

Alex was on top of the world—she'd gotten her future father-in-law's blessing to marry Piper, and she found the perfect antique 1930s platinum halo ring for her girlfriend. (She'd spent more money on the ring than she'd anticipated, but she knew that Piper would love it.) The only question left was when she should pop the question.

The day finally came when they got the keys to move into House 10, the one Alex had lived in for four months when she'd first met Piper. The women talked about how they planned to 'christen' every room, but for now, they'd settle for _furnishing_ every room. The house came with bare bones essentials, but they still needed two dressers, an extra bed for the guest room, and a headboard for their room. Piper also wanted to get a new table and chairs as well as their own couch, but that would have to wait.

While the blonde was at a new employee retreat, Alex visited her mom, who was overjoyed at their new living arrangements. She'd promised her mom that if she and Henry wanted to spend an evening or a weekend in New York, they were welcome to use their studio apartment. Diane seemed eager to take her daughter up on the offer.

"Is Piper ready to start teaching?" Her mom asked as she made chicken salad.

Alex chopped a stalk of celery. "She's nervous, but yeah, I think she is."

"She'll be great," Diane offered. "The kids will love her."

"I think you're right." The brunette smiled. "There's something _I'm_ a little nervous about though."

Her mom creased her brow and stopped stirring. "What, the commute? You did it before, and you can do it again; besides, it'll only be a couple days a week."

"No, I think the commute will be fine," Alex replied. She set down the knife and faced her mom. "I'm going to ask Piper to marry me."

Diane covered her heart with both hands and took in a sharp breath. "Oh, Al!"

The younger Vause blushed, but couldn't contain a shy yet radiant smile.

She enveloped her daughter in a bear hug. "I am _so_ happy for you!"

"Thanks, mom," she said, pulling back. "I figured now is the right time, you know? We've come full circle."

"Ain't that the truth!" She put her hands on her hips and stood proudly before her daughter. "Who ever would've thought that you and me would be engaged at the same fucking time?"

Alex laughed. "Yeah, I guess that's kind of…bizarre."

"Double wedding?" Diane asked.

"Um, I don't think so, but yours will definitely be first, and I promise to give it my undivided attention."

Diane made a shooing motion with her hand. "We're just going to do a simple thing with the Justice of the Peace. Yours is probably going to be much more elaborate."

"I don't know about that." She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "Whatever Piper wants. I think she's been secretly planning our wedding since she was in high school."

"That wouldn't surprise me one bit!" Her mother chuckled. "When are you going to pop the question?"

"I'm not sure yet." She shrugged. "But the ring is burning a hole in my pocket, and I keep thinking she's going to find it."

"Can I see it?" Her mom asked with hopeful eyes.

"Sorry, mom," Alex replied. "I want Piper to be the first to see it. There's something special about that, you know?"

"Well, I'm over the moon for you, Al." She hugged her daughter again.

"Thank you. Please don't say anything, not even to Henry."

She pretended to zip her mouth shut. "I won't say a word."

* * *

Alex decided to go to their new house, as strange as that sounded, to wait for Piper to return from the half-day retreat. She was feeling unusually horny for her lover, and hoped that Piper would be in the mood to christen one of the rooms as soon as she got home.

"Alex?" Piper called.

"I'm upstairs."

The brunette had just taken a shower and was wearing an old Bourbon Street, black t-shirt that barely covered her ass, panties and nothing else. She knew that "outfit" was Piper's weakness.

"Hi," the blonde announced when she stepped into the bedroom. "Unpacking?"

"Hey, babe." She unpacked a box of sweaters and shoved them into their dresser. "A little. How was the retreat?"

"It was good." Piper sat on the edge of the bed, and Alex watched her girlfriend's eyes look her up and down. "I'm the youngest new teacher by far."

"I remember that feeling," she replied, bending over to put the final contents of one box into the bottom drawer.

That caused the blonde to stand and put her hands on Alex's waist. "Any particular reason you don't have pants on?"

"I just got out of the shower," she replied, hoping not to tip Piper off that she'd intentionally dressed provocatively.

"Ah, I see." Piper rubbed her hands up and down the brunette's sides, making the t-shirt rise with every pass. She moved one hand under the shirt to Alex's stomach. "It wouldn't be to turn me on, right?"

She pursed her lips. "Why would you think that?"

Piper rested her chin on her girlfriend's shoulder and whispered. "Because you know what it does to me when you only wear a t-shirt and underwear."

She couldn't help the grin that had formed on her face as she turned around. "What does it do to you?"

The blonde's hands moved to her lover's back, inching up until the t-shirt was stuck on her wrists. "It makes me wet."

"Does it?" Alex couldn't hide her full-fledged smile any longer. "That's news to me."

"Mmm hmm." Piper captured Alex's lips with hers and walked them backwards until Alex's legs hit the bed.

She lifted one of the brunette's legs and placed her foot on the mattress, giving her access to her center. Piper shoved her hand down her girlfriend's underwear, cupping her center and dragging her middle finger through her folds. She seemed so eager to touch Alex that even _sitting down_ wasn't an option.

" _Piper_ ," she moaned.

The blonde dropped to her knees and pushed the navy blue material aside, wasting no time in sinking her tongue into her lover's opening. Alex was balanced precariously with one foot on the ground, one on the bed, so she held Piper's head with both hands to steady herself.

"That feels good, babe." She thrust her head back and bit her lip. "Right there, Piper…oh, oh, ungh…fuck…yeah, Piper!"

The blonde kissed her way back up Alex's body, and her lover put the leg that was on the mattress back down on the floor. Both legs tingled as she stood more fully. "I need to sit down."

Piper's smirk was firmly in place. "That was unexpected."

Alex reached for her hand, pulling the blonde towards her until Piper fell gracelessly and her legs straddled the brunette's neck. Alex hadn't intended on taking her lover right there, but with her own position lying on the bed and Piper's center a few inches below her mouth, she couldn't pass up the opportunity. She could smell Piper's sex from that distance.

"Are you ready for your first day tomorrow?" The brunette asked as she raised the blonde's skirt, allowing the palms of her hands to caress her muscular thighs.

Piper instinctively bucked forward. "I'm a little nervous, but I guess so."

"You're going to be a fucking amazing teacher," she offered, pulling Piper's thong down, letting it dangle at the knee.

"I hope so…mmm." It was Piper's turn to throw her head back and push her hips forward. "I want your mouth on me."

"Like this?" Alex licked her lover's center.

"Yeah," she sucked in a breath.

"And this?" She licked her again and again.

It never took long for the younger woman to reach an orgasm. Before Alex knew it, Piper was cuming in her mouth, and Alex let her girlfriend ride her face. When the orgasm ran its course, the brunette placed a tender kiss on her upper thigh.

Piper wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. "Fuck, I didn't know that's what we'd be doing at 2 o'clock on a Sunday afternoon."

"Kind of fun, especially in _this_ house."

The lovers laid on the bed, facing each other. Each woman had a hand on the other's body—it was almost impossible for them not to touch when they were in the same vicinity even after being a couple for more than four years.

"Do you ever regret not making love to me when you were my teacher?" Piper asked. "I mean, when I came over here those few times, did you ever think about sex?"

"Of course I thought about sex." Alex kissed her nose. "But I don't regret not going for it. You were my student, and if we did it, that might've scared you off."

"It would _not_ have scared me," she replied, rubbing her thumb along Alex's jaw.

"It just wouldn't have been right," the brunette offered. "The way we did things was better. Don't you think?"

She shrugged. "Looking back on it, yeah. But I wanted to have sex with you pretty fucking badly back then. I wanted you to be my first."

Alex smirked. "I _was_ your first."

"And you'll be my last," Piper whispered before leaning in for a proper kiss.

* * *

On Piper's first day of school, she got out of bed before Alex. She kissed her girlfriend on the cheek, and then hopped into the shower.

Alex rubbed her eyes and smiled. This was going to be a day they'd remember for the rest of their lives.

The brunette made eggs and bacon for breakfast, ensuring that her lover had enough energy to get through the morning. Piper walked downstairs dressed in a pale green dress with sensible brown sandals.

"You look nice." Alex smiled.

Piper looked down at her outfit. "Is it conservative enough?"

She nodded. "I remember my first day, hell, my first two weeks, I was worried I'd dress too casually or too provocatively." The brunette set both plates on the kitchen table. "You look perfect."

"This is so weird," the blonde admitted. "I feel like just yesterday I was a student here."

Alex considered her statement and tilted her head. "It _is_ kind of weird, but I don't know, it seems _natural_. Like this is where we're supposed to be."

That earned her a smile.

The brunette quickly ate her breakfast, and then told Piper she needed to get ready for her day. Alex kissed her on the mouth, holding her head between her hands. "You're going to be _great_ today, kid."

The blonde returned the smile. "I'm going to head over early, so I guess I'll see you tonight."

She nodded. "Sounds good."

* * *

Alex dressed in a black, vented pencil skirt and a green blouse and headed out the door 15 minutes after she heard Piper leave. She walked down the once familiar path, past the other faculty homes and the dormitory, and into the red-bricked classroom building. The smell of old books and freshly sharpened pencils instantly brought back memories from her time as a teacher.

She climbed the stairs and headed to her girlfriend's classroom, which also happened to be where _she'd_ taught years ago, and before that, Mrs. Rankin's room.

"Knock, knock," Alex said as she tapped her knuckles on the opened door.

Piper whipped around. "Alex, what are you doing here? Is everything ok?"

She smiled and walked into the room. "I wanted to see you in action."

Piper stood in front of the teacher's desk and shuffled some papers. "There won't be any action for another 10 minutes when the kids start rolling in."

"So many memories in this room." The brunette scanned the classroom, noticing that not much had changed. "I fell in love with you in here."

Piper blushed. "It feels like just yesterday."

"I'm more in love with you now than I ever dreamed I could be." Alex took both hands in hers. "And I feel like we've come full circle, you know?" She squeezed Piper's hands, and then let go of one, digging in her skirt pocket for the ring.

Piper's eyes couldn't have opened any wider as it dawned on her what was happening. " _Alex_ ," she breathed.

"I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Piper." Her eyes began to sting, and she could tell that her lover's were welling with tears, too. "I will love you, respect you, and have the fucking time of my life with you." She smiled and wiped a stray tear off of Piper's chin. "What do you say we make this official? Marry me, kid."

" _Yes_ ," she replied with a wet breath. " _Yes, yes, yes_ , I will marry you." Piper threw her arms around her lover's neck, and Alex returned the gesture. She kissed the blonde's neck, and then pulled back, showing her the ring.

"Alex, it's gorgeous!" Piper kept her eyes focused on the motion of her lover slipping the ring onto her finger.

"It fits!" The brunette grinned proudly and admired the way the ring seemed to _belong_ on her girlfriend's slender finger.

Piper held her hand up and stared at the sparkling diamond. "Wow, I never…" She put her hand down and looked at her lover. "I never thought this day would come. I mean, I _hoped_ it would years from now, but this is…this is a dream come true." She hugged the brunette once more, and then placed a firm kiss on her lips. "I love you, Alex Vause."

She smiled. "I love you, too, Piper Chapman."

Three students walked in the room, and Alex heard one of them say, _Whoa_.

"To be continued," she said into the blonde's ear as she released her.

Piper nodded and wiped her damp cheeks.

Alex walked out of the room, but hovered inconspicuously near the door until 16 students were seated in the classroom. She watched Piper make small talk with a few of them, every once in a while, looking at the ring on her finger.

"Good morning," she announced to the class after the bell rang. "My name is Piper Chapman, and I'm excited to start this school year with you." She walked to the front of her desk. "Before we review the syllabus, you get to ask me two questions—anything you want to know. If the questions are appropriate, you'll get to ask two questions every day this semester." She leaned against the front of her desk, crossing her legs at the ankles. "If they're _inappropriate_ , the questions end there and then."

Some students smiled and whispered to the person next to them, and others looked confused.

"My suggestion is to collaborate before someone asks something stupid and you lose your privilege." She pushed herself off the desk and walked around the oval shaped cluster of desks. "You're going to do a lot of collaboration this semester, because that's a big part of what happens in college." She paused by the row of windows. "You have five minutes to come up with your first two questions."

Alex shook her head and smiled with pride. "That's my girl."

The End

* * *

Author's Notes: Well, this is it! Thanks to all of you who have left reviews or private messaged me; it means everything! According to this site, there have been a total of **35,968 Views** and **7,366 Visitors** to this story, yet there are only 430 reviews by about 70 people. If you have read this story and have not left a comment, that's like going to the same restaurant 25 times and never leaving a tip. Please consider jotting down a note, even if it's "hated it," "wished you would have taken this in a different direction," or "great job." Much appreciated.

I don't have anything else on the burner right now other than the sequel to The Peril of Proximity, but I will take prompts. Please PM me if you'd like me to take a stab at something.


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